A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original review appears below. Jack Charleson is Bank Manager, and Elder at Bridlewood Presbyterian Church, Agincourt, Ontario.
Come Before Winter and Share My Hope. Charles R. Swindoll, Portland: Multnomah Press, 1985.
Chuck Swindoll’s daily radio broadcast “Insight for Living” is heard in many parts of the United States and Canada giving Christians an opportunity to have a daily diet of the application of Scripture as expressed by this man of God. There is little doubt numerous Christians do not receive these broadcasts and the only exposure to Swindoll comes through his prolific writing. The Come Before Winter and Share My Hope daily reflections, backed by appropriate Scripture passages, can be used to develop a meaningful quiet time or provide a worthwhile supplement to devotions.
Over several weeks we are led through a period of preparation “Before Winter” into “Mid-Winter’s Blast” when perseverance steadies our course until “Winter’s End” when the promise returns. The thoughts are tempered by Swindoll’s effort to associate the loneliness of Paul as a prisoner in a grim Roman prison. There is a loneliness as he prepares for the winter of his life but a tremendous strength that comes from his relationship with his Lord. Swindoll brings a modem approach to many thoughts that could come to a person at such a time. Each day looks at an issue and gives insight to how we may live a life that would be acceptable to our Lord and avoid many of the pitfalls of our modern pluralistic society where Satan seeks to tear us apart. We need the assurance and encouragement of a quiet time which points us to the relevance of Scripture in the twentieth century.
As he proceeds through thoughts for various days, Swindoll seeks to direct us into dealing with a wide range of subjects such as discernment, superstitition, offerings, our testimony, fallibility, teenage turbulence, idols, envy, suspicion, insensitivity, persistence, innovation, workaholism, jealousy, determination, tough days, self control, our speech, compassion, healing, vision, trust, etc. In this book there is something for everyone and with such a wide range of subjects, it is difficult to select one which is of particular significance to any one reader. Each is important and we can certainly grow in our Christian experience as a result of Come Before Winter and Share My Hope.
In the chapter entitled “Sunday Listening”, Swindoll states, “Most of us were born hearing well, but all of us must learn to listen well. Listening is a skill, an art that is in need of being cultivated.” He states further, “Good communication is a tricky business.” Surely this is an area where we can all learn. We truly need to learn to “listen” as we read books such as this if we are to develop good communication skills and grow in our Christian experience through the insight for living provided by authors such as Charles R. Swindoll.