When Life Meets the Soul: Everyday Lessons from the Book of Job

Within When Life Meets the Soul, Ivan D. Parke challenges believers to dig deeper, asking, “Is spiritual intimacy with God a memory, a reality, or a goal?”

The Book of Job chronicles the ruin and recovery of the greatest sufferer before Jesus. To read it only after experiencing a tragedy, however, is itself a tragedy—a decision depriving readers of the essential lessons this Old Testament book teaches. Job’s story addresses more than suffering and teaches more than patience or “rainy” day lessons. Its content encompasses the essence of life, integrating the best of times and the worst of times. 

When Life Meets the Soul examines the Book of Job in twenty-four responses, addressing the universal question: “How should I live? Parke’s study of Job explains that to live well is to walk with God, whether on mountaintops or through valleys. His spiritual guide is designed for Christians and those seeking to pursue close encounters with God—without hesitation. 

Ivan D. Parke, PhD is a professor in the Department of Christian Studies at Mississippi College. His areas of expertise are Biblical Studies and Biblical Hebrew. He has been a pastor in Alabama and a minister of youth in Florida and Louisiana. He co-authored Reclaiming the Real Jesus in 2004. He and his wife Mary Ann live in Jackson, Mississippi.