Why Does It Have to Hurt?

This is a meaty little book that delves into the issue of suffering, seeking to give clear answers from the Bible. Included are helpful questions at the end of each chapter to help you process the information. This book gives you good tools and answers to face suffering, whether your own or someone else's and lift your eyes towards God in the midst of that.

My wife first read this book as part of a course she was taking - and mentioned a few things from it to me. So I read it straight after her - and it's a great little book. Suffering and pain are a huge issue for everyone in the world, and as Christians we can have a hard time seeing God's love and our pain, hurt and sin as being compatible. This book seeks to give biblical answers to these big issues - not in a way that gives pat answers though. The author has a very high view of God - His sovereignty, goodness, power and purposes. The author doesn't try and give answers where the Bible doesn't give them - he maintains mystery where God has not revealed His purposes. But what God does reveal about suffering - the author really does a great job. This book is deeply pastoral, sensitive, thoughtful, clear and helps us to see our broken lives in light of the overall redemptive plan of God, and how God works in and through suffering (mostly through Jesus' suffering) to bring deep restoration of people and place and relationships.