Written by my friend Christina Fox, A Heart Set Free: A Journey to Hope Through the Psalms of Lament, is a book for weary-worn souls. It is a book for all women struggling to understand how their faith in Jesus Christ intersects with life’s difficult moments.
It reads true to Christina’s character and personal story of how a specific group of Psalms in the Scriptures helped her to overcome emotions that threatened to shipwreck her life – depession, anxiety, despair, and more.
Christina starts her book where all good stories begin – in the Garden. The entrance of sin into God’s creation corrupted all things, particularly the human heart. Because of that, A Heart Set Free, is more than a guide to cultivating healthy emotions; the book challenges readers to use biblical tools (the Psalms of Lament) to voice and identify the emotions that hold them hostage so that they might live and walk in the freedom of Christ.
WHAT IS A LAMENT?
Newer believers might be unaware that there are songs classified in the Scriptures as laments.
A lament is a type of song that honestly expresses the deepest cries of the human heart – cries of sorrow, fear, anger, anxiety, depression, suffering, pain. More than simple venting, the laments offer modern believers a guide for pouring out their hearts to God so that they might find hope in him.
5 REASONS THE PSALMS OF LAMENT OFFER HOPE
In the book, Christina outlines 5 reasons the Psalms of Lament offer hope in the midst of spiritual and emotional darkness.
(1) They help us express our feelings in honest and healthy ways.
(2) They help shape our feelings, helping us interpret them in light of God’s redemptive plan for the entire world.
(3) They teach us more about ourselves by revealing our greatest need and how our minds and hearts influence our lives.
(4) They teach us more about God, his character and activity in us and the world.
(5) They reorient us to the truth of the gospel and how it transforms us from the inside out.
Part of the power of Christina’s book is her own personal story of interacting with the laments, particularly in writing her own laments using the pattern and language the psalmist provides. A Heart Set Free is the vulnerable story of how Scripture is redeeming the heart of one woman and the hard work heart work is. It is a journey that I suspect will resonate with countless believers struggling with depression and anxiety.
Fortunately, she has graciously provided a free copy for one lucky Hive Resources reader! And because the Psalms are one of my favorite books in the Bible, I thought I’d pair her book with one of my other favorite things: coffee!
To enter to win a copy of A Heart Set Free and a $15 Starbucks gift card, simply leave a comment in this blog post. That’s it! Pretty easy, right? Comments must be posted by Tuesday, May 31 at midnight! (U.S. Residents only). CONTEST HAS ENDED!
Congratulations to the winner, Gail Hein! Thank you to everyone who entered!
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I am excited to read this book. I had used the prayers of lament at a mentoring meeting addressing anxiety and depression. So thrilled to come across this content.
This looks wonderful and so needed. What a mess we are when we let our emotions “run” us. I’m so ready to read this. My good friend have been expressing curiosity and intrigue regarding lament–it would be great to read this together.
Gail, it would be an excellent book to work through with someone else. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
This book looks really interesting. I think it is something, a tool, I could use for my clients who suffer with depression.
I would love to have a copy of this book 🙂 Woke up thinking about my Dr. appointment this morning and how I’m tired, not tired of life but tired of living with a chronic illness that is a battle and a drain to stay on top of every day, every minute and every second….even while sleeping type 1 diabetics don’t get a break. Been living with it for nearly 27 years 🙂 Just finished my coffee:-P Going to go face the doc and see what she says.
God bless!! 🙂
Stacey, praying your news goes well today and you feel Christ’s peace!
This book looks so helpful, thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
So grateful to finally see a resource like this! Can’t wait to read it!
Looks like a book that could really help my family right now.
praying for you guys, Mindy!
This looks so good! Thanks for sharing!! It’s going on my wish list right now!
I would love to read this! Christina is a wonderful writer & best of all, always puts the spotlight on Christ.
yes! She’s so great at that!
This looks great. I’ve struggled with depression for more than a decade.
Bethany, I loved the book. It was so encouraging and I loved how the author is so open about your own story. She is realistic about the process, and that alone, shines light on the hope God can bring to so many who struggle in the same way.
This looks like agreat book! Would be a welcome addition to my bible studies!
I’ve been eyeing this book too! Thanks for the opportunity.
I would love to read this. So much that I am adding to my list to buy. I have been having a lot of turmoil in my heart and mind and I have been soul searching but have felt lost at times. Would love to read someone else’s experience!
It sounds like an excellent book. I have written a few Psalms using the pattern of Psalms for a prayer course several years ago. This sounds like an excellent book. God covers all of our emotions in Psalms, even the ones many of us don’t like to experience or discuss at times.
Well, you said I needed to enter so that means I needed to enter!! ……and I trust you, Melissa Demming! That’s all!!!
Happy to see this great resource! The older I get, the more I treasure the Psalms. Thanks for this opportunity to win this book!
Ok. I don’t ever comment but..this is the book my mom needs. She’s battled mental illness for quite some time and so much of what’s going on with her is the sheer fact that she’s isolated from human beings/friendship/community. She loves to read and I know this would help bring some peace to her day! It might even get her moving in the right direction!
P.S. The book cover is just down right awesome. ❤️
Love the Psalms!
I would love to sit down with a cup of coffee and read through this book! I have never really looked in depth at the Psalms and I would love to learn more!
Very nice cover art. I like the idea of discussion questions after each chapter.
Thankful for a study like this! the Lord brought me Psalm 55 just this morning
Always looking for great tools to equip women to use their armor of the Lord! Definitely going to add this to my library, would be awesome to win a copy to share!
This looks like a great book! Thanks for the giveaway
Hi, I would love to win this book. also love the articles I have read so far. Really helpful.