Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23 Paperback – February 26, 2019

One of Dallas Willard's best books. This is an excellent book on Psalm 23 and how it applies to our lives. If you only read one Willard book, I think this is his most accessible and practical. Willard is one of the best modern Christian authors on spiritual formation. Without Willard there is no John Mark Comer.

I bought this on Audible and loved the book so much I recommended it to a friend that I attend Bible study with. She loved it so much that when our group was deciding on the next study to begin she suggested this. The book has some great group discussion questions in the back. The study turns out to be 9 weeks, but Dallas Willard really brings Psalm 23 to a new dimension and a deeper understanding of trusting God to be our provider and protector.

When we become Christians, most of us believe and hope that the life that Jesus talked about is attainable by us regular mortals. Dallas Willard appears to have walked further down that path than many humans. This is a great -- accessible! -- book that started out as Dallas' teachings to a small-group on the subject of Psalm 23, that is, about what life IN God is, and how we get deeper and deeper into it... what we do and what God does and what the results look and feel like. Dallas Willard is also careful to affirm you, the reader, wherever you may be on the path. His invitation and directions are a helpful guide.This understandable book is also rich, though, and not a casual read. You may wish to read it like a rich dessert: a little bit at a time. You may find yourself returning to it, and gleaning more light from it on a second and third "pressing".

Life Without Lack is a book to be savored. One could read straight through it quickly, as I did for the sake of reviewing it, but I wouldn't recommend that. I will definitely be rereading it and this time slowly, taking the time to meditate on the wisdom presented and to implement some of the ideas. For example, Dallas Willard started out by recommending that readers memorize and meditate on Psalm 23. I honestly wasn't sure I was interested in a book on Psalm 23. I felt overly familiar with that Psalm, but this book really has.a lot to offer whether you are a person who memorized the Psalm as a child or whether its your first time reading it. Dallas Willard's gentle wisdom is refreshing and encouraging. In chapter 8, Dallas helps the reader plan to spend a day with Jesus. But he isn't helping the reader plan a retreat. This is a day with Jesus in your very ordinary schedule, inviting Him along with you and spending the day together. These are just some of the ideas with which I would like to spend more time and actually implement in my life.I also had concern over whether I could offer this book to the men and women at the homeless shelter where I served. Their lives are filled with palpable lack. How would this book play there? Dallas is aware of these concerns for all of us who experience lack in one way or another in our lives and he addresses these concerns adeptly. From chapter 1, "Whereas King David wrote, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," Paul wrote, "not that I speak in regard to need." They both knew the provision of God that became for them a life without lack."But how could Paul say that? This man has been dragged through every jailhouse in the Roman Empire. Several times we find him bobbing in the ocean, trying to survive shipwrecks. It makes me want to say, "What do you mean, you don't have any wants? Couldn't you use a boat?" He would respond, "Well sure I'll take a boat, but I don't really have to have it, you understand?""I'm not there yet, but reading this makes me eager for the day when I can say that I'm living a life without lack. I'm looking forward to implementing Willard's suggestions for growth in this area of my life.*I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. (and then purchased a hard copy because I liked it so much)

After seeing numerous quotes form Willard I decided to get this book. I believe he is better at giving meaningful quotes than book writing in that I would never know this book was to be about Psalm 23. It is a compilation of many different thoughts.

As a pastor, I give away my copy of this book constantly. I make all my new staff team members read it. It is truly a wonder and a God send. Now, I have read and love all of Willard's books, but this one is the most approachable for the average reader and Christian. This one has a unique difference in that it was delivered orally to a class of ordinary Christians, and not penned by Willard himself as a Magnum Opus of the topic at hand like with The Divine Conspiracy and The Spirit of the Disciplines. Life without Lack is easy to read and drives home the most important aspects of spiritual growth from an in depth look at Psalm 23. I've read it several times, and will continue to read it again and again throughout my life. I will have my children read it, and if I live to see my grandkids, I will read it to them as well. This is truly a gem, and worth a good slow read.

Psalm 23 is a powerful passage, but it's so familiar that it can suffer the fate of a refrigerator magnet - we see it all the time, but we don't pay attention anymore. Willard's treatment will make you stand up and pay attention to it again.