Mrs. Oswald Chambers

October 15, 2017

Oswald Chambers is most commonly associated with My Utmost for His Highest, the daily devotional translated into over 39 languages over the past 70 years. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his death, novelist Ule recounts the story of the dedicated and often overlooked woman who made Utmost and other publications a reality--Gertrude "Biddy" Chambers. Trained in shorthand, Biddy meticulously recorded Oswald's teachings in service of the League of Prayer, the Bible Training College, and finally the YMCA in Egypt during World War I. After Oswald's untimely passing at the age of 43, Biddy's tireless efforts ensured that her husband's popular ministry would live on. Together, Biddy and Oswald agreed to remain steadfast that God would always provide for their needs, and although Biddy likely could have amassed a sizeable fortune from the compilations she published, she remained loyal to that commitment. VERDICT Ule weaves a combination of biography and creative nonfiction into a devotional narrative of a woman who lived her life in service of God and the ministry.--Amanda Folk, Ohio State Univ. Libs.

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