God Is Your Defender: Learning to Stand After Life Has Knocked You Down

In this powerful guide, Rivera (Take Your Power Back), former cohost of the Spanish morning show Despierta America, offers help to Christian readers looking to heal from past hurts. Rivera shares her struggle to trust God as her defender, disclosing painful circumstances in her life—including the effects of sexual abuse she experienced as a child and the death of her much older sister. She discusses questions on dealing with suffering, such as “Why do bad things happen?” and “Why do people do hurtful things?” and points readers to the Psalms, where David seeks answers to similar questions. Rivera considers withholding forgiveness a type of revenge (and thus to be avoided) and emphasizes the need to forgive others: “When we bless others, when we forgive, when we let God be our Defender, it comes back to bless us.” Instead of “paying for the wrongs you’ve experienced,” she encourages Christians to trade burdens, loss, and desire for God’s always optimistic outlook: ”fresh eyes, a renewed faith, an empowered story.” Rivera’s uplifting testament will reassure any Christian of God’s active presence in life. (June)