Book Review: One in a Million

I was in the front seat, staring blankly out the passenger window.   Have you ever done that? Stared blankly while your life, with all its spinning parts, whirled around you in a chaotic fury?  Have you ever thought to yourself, How did we get here?  How did this happen? That’s how I felt on that particular day.  (98)

When I received Priscilla Shirer’s latest book, One in a Million, to review, I was – honestly – covered up with so many projects that I just had to leave it sitting on my desk … a constant reminder of “one more thing” on my ever-growing list of things that needed to be done.

When I finally picked it up and began reading, it was like balm to my weary soul.  But not in the way I’d ever experienced before … Priscilla’s writing (as her live teaching – oh. my. gosh!) challenged assumptions and habits and patterns in my life.  Using the Hebrews journey from Egypt as a guide, she vividly captures the journey for each of us in our spiritual life.   Two million Israelites crossed the Red Sea, but only two entered the Promised Land … two of two million.  One in a million.

We look at those odds and think, “Why bother?” And yet, with her grace, humor, and solid biblical teaching, Priscilla encourages us to pursue the freedom of walking with Christ.  In the first passage (of many!) I underlined while reading, she says:

Living in freedom means learning how to walk again – learning how to walk God’s way for a change – because, listen, you can be 100 percent saved and still spend the majority of your time in Egypt.  (19)

A few pages later is this paragraph:

Yes, even the sin – that sin – the on that “so easily” entangles you, the one that works the hardest to keep you separated from complete freedom in Christ, even the one that needs to be “laid aside.”  There’s no other way.  There’s no kind of shortcut.  There’s no scenario that keeps your sin and your highest spiritual hopes in the same picture frame.  It takes deliberate separation – not once or twice or every now and then, but day after day, hour after hour, time after time.  Christian freedom may in many ways be a walk, but Hebrews 12 is a reminder that it’s also a “run.”  Like, run for your life.  Get out of Dodge.  Never expect freedom to happen any other way.  (22)

This book is for you!  No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, no matter what difficulties or successes you are currently experiencing, no matter what … this book offers powerful instruction for those who seek to be One in a Million.

Congratulations to Christina Burrell and Karla Meachem! You are both winners of Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God. Email me with your mailing address and I’ll get those books to you!  terilynne {at} terilynneu {dot} com

{This book was provided to me for review by B & H Publishing; however the opinions are entirely my own. The links in this post are affiliate links and should you purchase through them, I would receive a small commission.}

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Comments

  1. Oh, Teri Lynne! You are so right. This book is for everyone! Even after reading it, I’ve had to go back and revisit One in a Million as if it were an old and familiar friend.

    This book had my head nodding the whole way through.

  2. Priscilla is my new favorite! I haven’t read her books but I loved hearing her at PWOCI. She’s awesome!

    By the way…I just today found a comment on my chaplain’s wife blog you wrote. I am still there, in that place of waiting and a little bit of mourning—and I found someone who GOT IT at the conference (another chaplain’s wife whose hubby isn’t pastoring at the chapel), and we talked. It’s ok. Plus, the Lord is expanding my territory and led me to lead a Bible study group next semester 🙂

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