First Look: An Interview with Gloria Furman, Author of Labor with Hope

Thanks for reading my blog series First Look, where I interview authors about their new books. The goal is to point you to solid, Christ-centered resources by giving you a peek into the author’s mind and heart.

Gloria Furman (MACE, Dallas Theological Seminary) lives in the Middle East where her husband, Dave, serves as the pastor of Redeemer Church of Dubai. She is the author of many books, including Missional Motherhood, Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full, and Glimpses of Grace. She is author of Labor with Hope: Gospel Meditations on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood (Crossway, 2019).

Tell us what your new book is about.

Labor with Hope is a devotional book written for expectant moms to help encourage their spiritual life by pointing them to worship Jesus Christ. The person and work of Jesus is the focus of the book, and I discuss several Scripture passages that utilize the language of birth to point us to spiritual realities. One famous scriptural example of this is when Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be “born again” (John 3).

What prompted you to write Labor with Hope?

The idea for this book came from seeing and studying the birth metaphor in the different genre of Scripture. I wanted to know how this metaphorical language pointed me to spiritual realities and fueled my worship of God.

Why do you hope people will read it? 

I hope people read the book for that reason: to see how these sometimes enigmatic passages of Scripture lead us to worship Jesus.

What’s your favorite part of the book?

My favorite part of the book is how it highlights God’s goal to be worshiped by all people everywhere, completing our joy in him! God’s aim to be glorified among all the nations is evident throughout Scripture, including these particular passages.

Relevant Links

• Amazon: Labor with Hope: Gospel Meditations on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood
• Gloria’s website: gloriafurman.com