Cyberjaya, Malaysia, 1 September 2021 - In the maiden release of his book “What If You Could Complete Jeremiah in 8 Weeks?”, first-time Malaysian author Ivan Tan has strung together Christian devotional reflections based on the 52 chapters of the Book of Jeremiah at a time when the world was gripped by Covid’19’s catastrophic devastation. The book is available in paperback and e-book format on Amazon.
Confined to his home due to the strict lockdown in 2020, Ivan has taken the inspiration and penned what would turn into a set of life principles and godly promptings that could transform one’s life. The essence of the compilation also doubles up as an accompanying devotional and prayer guide for those seeking an intimate journey with God.
Senior Pastor of the Metro Tabernacle A/G Ong Sek Leang weighed in on the Foreword, “Ivan’s devotional approach touches the core of what Jeremiah is about. His thoughts push through the maze of theological, historical, and biblical complexity enshrined in the book and focuses on the impact God can make on the very core of our being, namely, the 'heart' and at the same time exposes God’s 'heart' for us as we journey through one of the most complex and painful periods in human history, namely the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Author Ivan who is a Partner at Rightwiz Sdn Bhd, a content writing and publishing company, explained that his devotions for the book began before the first lockdown in Malaysia, “What caught my attention was that the readings coincided with the world events around us, more so when we were also locked down which mirrored some parts of Jeremiah’s life in the bible.
“As I went from chapter to chapter, I was continuously reminded of His revelation, His touch, His mercy, and His love. In the end, I was just so overwhelmed that I’ve decided to turn this rare experience into a book and hopefully share it with the world out there.”
Throughout the Book of Jeremiah, there are expressions of love, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, restoration, servanthood, the call to return to God, warnings about prosperity gospel, His power, and His promises. There were also cautions against arrogance and pride as well as stories relating to anxiety, depression, exile, discernment, purpose, discipline, commitment, loyalty, legacy, seasons, lineage, and much more. But what made it vastly appealing to modern society is that the ancient text is also reflective of the 21st-century professional marketplace such as employment, contractual relationships, buying land, signing agreements, safekeeping of documents, the economy, the big picture, etc. As such, the stereotypical Christian vocabularies like love, mercy, and forgiveness were quickly dismissed as the only few and limited holy adjectives inscribed by Jeremiah. In truth, the book unveiled pertinent issues that are as relatable to the crisis at hand and rather surprisingly too, to the prevailing settings of frontline workers, lockdowns, and slavery.
“What If You Could Complete Jeremiah in 8 Weeks?” is a book of the pandemic era having been put together through the rising caseloads of Covid-19 and before the ensuing second and third waves or the Delta and Lambda variants.
