Live Wholeheartedly
The Devoted by Suzanne Woods Fisher is an Amish romantic novel. It is the third book in the Bishop’s Family series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow! Once in a while a book comes along that really impacts me -and The Devoted is that book. It’s a great read on the surface but underneath beats the heart of God for His people. It is a modern telling of Moses leading the Israelites with all their fears and insecurities. The community is led by the Bishop with his huge heart for his people and for God. The Devoted is all about God’s plan for His children. “God has a plan for your future… watch and wait for His timing.” God’s desire is for us to live in relationship with Him and with each other. He wants us to trust Him and He gives us a hope for the future, no matter how old we are, God’s not finished with us yet. “I want to make their lives meaningful in old age.”
The Devoted deals with the difficult topics of grief and depression leading to alcoholism. Suzanne Woods Fisher shows that even if we are on a path to self destruct, God never gives up on us. He waits patiently for us to see Him. “When you get to the end of yourself, that’s where you find God.” When life gets tough, God is the answer. “God’s the lifeboat in any crisis.”
The Amish are known for their simple way of life but when they community does not keep its eyes and values centred on God who is true north, their values become skewed. Wealth can creep in and aspirations slip. Suzanne Woods Fisher shows that it is not wealth that is wrong, it is the love of wealth. “Money was only a tool. It was the attitude that came along with the incomes.”
The Devoted has some wonderful characters that just took up residence in my heart. There is a wonderful sense of community within the novel as homes and hearts are opened up to strangers. “Nobody’s a stranger once you know their name.”
The Devoted was a fabulous book. It spoke to my heart. It got under my skin. I am missing the characters already.
Give yourself a treat and immerse yourself in The Devoted today.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
JULIA WILSON