Walking with God through Pain and Suffering

One of the books I read for our series at Revolution on Habakkuk called Waiting on God (http://www.tucsonrevolution.com/waiting-on-god/) was Tim Keller’s book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering. It is by far the most helpful and most thorough book on the topic of pain and suffering and where God is when life hurts the most. To give you an idea, when I read a book I would say I average highlighting anywhere from 25 – 40 things. In this book, I highlighted 160 passages. Keller starts off the book by telling us why it matters so much, "Suffering is everywhere, unavoidable, and its scope often overwhelms. If you spend one hour reading this book, more than five children throughout the world will have died from abuse and violence during that time.3 If you give the entire day to reading, more than one hundred children will have died violently. But this is, of course, only one of innumerable forms and modes of suffering. Thousands die from traffic accidents or cancer every hour, and hundreds of thousands learn that their loved ones are suddenly gone. That is comparable to the population of a small city being swept away every day, leaving families and friends devastated in the wake. When enormous numbers of deaths happen in one massive event—such as the 1970 Bhola cyclone in Bangladesh, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, or the 2010 Haiti earthquake—each of which killed 300,000 or more at once—it makes headlines around the world and everyone reels from the devastation. But statistics are misleading. Such historic disasters do not really change the suffering rate. Tens of thousands of people die every day in unexpected tragedies, and hundreds of thousands around them are crushed by grief and shock. The majority of them trigger no headlines because pain and misery is the norm in this world. We are always looking to make some sort of sense out of murder in order to keep it safely at bay: I do not fit the description; I do not live in that town; I would never have gone to that place, known that person. But what happens when there is no description, no place, nobody? Where do we go to find our peace of mind? . . . The fact is, staving off our own death is one of our favorite national pastimes. Whether it’s exercise, checking our cholesterol or having a mammogram, we are always hedging against mortality. Find out what the profile is, and identify the ways in which you do not fit it. No amount of money, power, and planning can prevent bereavement, dire illness, relationship betrayal, financial disaster, or a host of other troubles from entering your life. Human life is fatally fragile and subject to forces beyond our power to manage. Life is tragic." With that in mind, here 13 things I learned or was reminded of in this book that I hope will be of encouragement for you: When pain and suffering come upon us, we finally see not only that we are not in control of our lives but that we never were. At the heart of why people disbelieve and believe in God, of why people decline and grow in character, of how God becomes less real and more real to us—is suffering. The great theme of the Bible itself is how God brings fullness of joy not just despite but through suffering, just as Jesus saved us not in spite of but because of what he endured on the cross. the central image of suffering as a fiery furnace. This biblical metaphor is a rich one. Fire is, of course, a well-known image for torment and pain. The Bible calls trials and troubles “walking through fire” (Isa 43:2) or a “fiery ordeal” (1 Pet 4:12). But it also likens suffering to a fiery furnace (1 Pet 1:6–7). The biblical understanding of a furnace is more what we would call a “forge.” Anything with that degree of heat is, of course, a very dangerous and powerful thing. However, if used properly, it does not destroy. Things put into the furnace properly can be shaped, refined, purified, and even beautified. This is a remarkable view of suffering, that if faced and endured with faith, it can in the end only make us better, stronger, and more filled with greatness and joy. Suffering, then, actually can use evil against itself. It can thwart the destructive purposes of evil and bring light and life out of darkness and death. Nothing is more important than to learn how to maintain a life of purpose in the midst of painful adversity. Christians don’t face adversity by stoically decreasing our love for the people and things of this world so much as by increasing our love and joy in God. Suffering is actually at the heart of the Christian story. Suffering is the result of our turn away from God, and therefore it was the way through which God himself in Jesus Christ came and rescued us for himself. And now it is how we suffer that comprises one of the main ways we become great and Christ-like, holy and happy, and a crucial way we show the world the love and glory of our Savior. If you have a God infinite and powerful enough for you to be angry at for allowing evil, then you must at the same time have a God infinite enough to have sufficient reasons for allowing that evil. God is sovereign over suffering and yet, in teaching unique to the Christian faith among the major religions, God also made himself vulnerable and subject to suffering. The other side of the sovereignty of God is the suffering of God himself. Suffering is painful “at the time” but later yields a harvest. It is one thing to believe in God but it is quite another thing to trust God. If you believe in Jesus and you rest in him, then suffering will relate to your character like fire relates to gold. We should not assume that if we are trusting in God we won’t weep, or feel anger, or feel hopeless. The way you live now is completely controlled by what you believe about your future. If you are walking through a difficult season or are struggling to trust God as you look at the pain in our world, this is the one book I’d recommend you read.

***** From such a gloomy and difficult topic as pain and suffering comes a beautiful, even glorious book. This book is not mainly for theologians and seminarians (although they will appreciate it too) but for laypeople and average Christian people--people like me. I am an ordinary Christian who has never really understood or made full sense of the role that pain and suffering was intended to make in my life. This book goes beyond this topic and for me gave meaning to my entire Christian experience in a way that no other book ever has. I found my reading experience to not be grim and boring (as I expected with such a topic) but intriguing and eventually fascinating because everything I have been taught as a Christian came together and began to make sense. I initially purchased it because I am going through an intensely painful illness and needed some encouragement. This book provided it. It is not light reading, but it is important and meaningful reading; thus I would not recommend it for someone who is grieving so deeply that they cannot focus enough to handle a deep and intense book. But I would recommend it for those who love them. So much of what the Bible says about suffering is against our Western culture's admonitions and we don't even realize it. As Christians, we have even adopted a lot of these cultural beliefs. This book will pull you back into a Biblical worldview and remind you of what you know to be true. The book is divided into three parts. The first part of the book gives a background on pain and suffering, a general history of how different cultures--including our culture--views suffering. There is some philosophy in this section, and I found it a tad hard to get through. Persist, reader, as it is worth it! The first part addresses different theodicies (explanations for the problem of evil and suffering) in a systematic and logical way. The second part of the book discusses what the Bible says about suffering and how it teaches us to address it. I found this part very rich--I kept wanting to stop and ponder what I was reading. The last part deals with practical information and Biblical ways of coping with evil, suffering, and pain. It discusses how to walk with God through suffering and how to know His presence when things are hard. I purchased this book for my Kindle so that I could read it soon after it came out. I ended up buying two hardback copies--one for myself and one as a gift for someone who has turned away from God because of suffering. My friend is still a Christian but has lost the intimacy with God he used to experience; this book will provide the healing he needs, of this I am certain. I recommend this book for every Christian to read NOW in order to be prepared for suffering and remain faithful. I also recommend it for Christian readers who have loved ones dealing with painful circumstances. I recommend it for non-believers who want to understand why Christians have hope and comfort. To quote from the book: "Nothing is more important than to learn how to maintain a life of purpose in the midst of painful adversity." So true. Nothing is more important! I recommend this book for its life-changing perspective on faith. The author defines an orthodox, Biblical view of pain, suffering, and hard times; I found sincere relief to finally, finally understand. Highest recommendation possible. *****

As someone who has experienced a tremendous amount of loss, grief, pain, and suffering I was excited for Tim's book on suffering to arrive. Tim Keller has also suffered much, and thus speaks with credibility as a fellow sufferer in the journey of life where there are many hills and valleys along the way. Keller divides the book into three parts based on the biblical metaphor where suffering is described as a "fiery furnace." Fire is an image used throughout the Bible as an image describing the torment and pain of suffering. The Bible speaks frequently of troubles and trials as "walking through the fire," a "fiery ordeal", and a "fiery furnace." Therefore, Keller builds his themes around this image. In Part One Keller considers the furnace from the outside of us. He tackles "the phenomenon of human suffering, as well as the various ways that different cultures, religions, and eras in history have sought to help people face and get through it [suffering]." In part two Keller moves away from the theoretical realm and begins to hone in on the personal and character issues that are developed when we suffer. He seeks to demonstrate that the common ways we handle suffering via avoidance, denial, and despair are essentially to waste our suffering. On the other hand, the Bible presents a balanced view in how to handle suffering in a step by step fashion. Biblical truth is always balanced and faces hardships head-on because these are the fires that God uses in our lives to mold our character and make us more like Christ. Part three is the most practical part of the book. Suffering is actually designed by God to "refine us, not destroy us." Keller explains in this final section how we can can properly orient ourselves toward God in the midst of our suffering so that we walk as Jesus walked in His great suffering. The best time to read a book on suffering is before you are in the midst of the furnace. Keller recommends that you read sections two and three if you are already in the midst of great suffering. However, the best time to prepare for suffering is before it occurs. Therefore, it would be wise to read this book in the calm before the storm. Christians need to be prepared and develop a theological foundation of suffering before we enter the hot furnaces of life. Americans seem to suffer more due to the fact that they are even suffering - than because of the suffering in and of itself. Keller wisely shows that suffering is a normal part of living in a fallen world. Life is full of various kinds of sufferings and we will always find ourselves coming into, or coming out of the fires of the furnace. God's promise is that when you "pass through the waters...when you walk through the fire...I will be with you." Jesus faced the ultimate suffering and furnace [the cross] and came through unscathed on our behalf. He was victorious over all the fires that we faced so that we too can be victorious as we face the fires that will come in Him, and with Him by our side. I highly recommend this book as a wonderful resource that takes seriously the problems and complexities of suffering without watering them down. It is a resource that takes a multidimensional approach to suffering - tackling the internal and external realities - and takes us deep theologically and practically. It is good spiritual food for the mind and soul. Keller also weaves many personal stories of men and women along the way in this journey of suffering that will help you connect to the truths that he is communicating - not just for information, but for transformation. I believe that God will use this book to powerfully help Christians realize that God has a plan and purpose to bring good out of all of our suffering. Out of each furnace that we enter - though difficult and painful - we will be refined by the fire and come out like gold. We will come out shining like the Son if we learn to trust and depend on His grace before, during, and in the aftermath of our trials. As Keller writes, "In Jesus Christ we see that God actually experiences the pain of the fire as we do. He is truly God with us, in love and understanding, in our anguish. He plunged himself into our furnace so that, when we find ourselves in the fire, we can turn to him and know we will not be consumed but will be made into people great and beautiful."

Keller does it again. Brings one of the hardest topics for Christians and non believers alike under a microscope. By the end of it, you will be able to better accept suffering because you will see how God allows it for His divine purposes as our own spiritual maturation in Christ.

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering is not a sentimental book, and that’s precisely why it mattered to me. Keller does not offer clichés or easy spiritual anesthesia; he builds a serious, intellectually rigorous case for how suffering fits within a Christian worldview while also speaking directly to the heart. In a season marked by my own life events of pain and suffering, this book helped me move from asking “why is this happening?” to “how do I walk faithfully through this?” It reframed suffering not as evidence of abandonment, but as a place where God’s presence can become more real, not less. For me, it has been steadying—less about removing pain and more about anchoring me so that pain does not define the story. If you are already a believer, I recommend going straight into Part 3 - Walking with God in the Furnace for immediate and useful guidance!

Again, Tim Keller, senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian, has written a masterful tome on the issue of pain and suffering. Maybe this is the most personal of his books in that it includes his own journey through thyroid cancer. What Keller does masterfully, as those who have sat under his teaching can attest, is throughout the book he fuses together not only thoughtful reflections on the issue, reading a wide scope of authors, and taking us constantly to Christ. Far from a self-help book or a four points to dealing with pain and suffering, Keller has crafted a book that speaks to where people are at yet pointing them to Christ. His books are much like his sermons that identify the problem, our inadequate ways of dealing with it through legalism/moralism or irreligion, and then pointing to Christ. The book refuses to take a simple approach to the problem. Keller makes it clear that the amount of evil, pain, and suffering in the world is diverse and so should any theodicy. He masterfully takes us not only to the formal or logical problem of evil but the existential problem of evil quoting everyone from CS Lewis to Alvin Plantinga to Simon Veil (by the way, how many Presbyterian pastors do you know who quote a mystic like Veil?) He dips into writers who are not Christian while staying away from Christian writers who simply write about the problem in a popular kind of self-help way. The book is broken into three sections: Framing the complexity of the problem (philosophical), framing how God redeems evil, pain, and suffering in our lives (theological), and finally our response to the problem (existential). Throughout the book I never got the sense that Keller is advocating a quick "fix it" to the problem. He is clear that some of the "words of comfort" we have offered people during their moments of suffering is at best trite, at worst cruel. Finally, there is something refreshing about a pastor who has a good understanding of the heart. I was particularly grateful for chapter 15 which demonstrates that good thinking/theology need not be usurped by talk purely about the heart. His challenge to go in to our hearts to evaluate the ordering of our loves was masterful and important for everyone who takes ministry seriously. Not only must we think well but we must have our hearts enlarged. One last note. It occurred to me that leading with something as "academic" as the philosophical problem (the first section) that evil, pain, and suffering seems to create for the Christian faith can be problematic for readers. The temptation will be to quit early because it seems too academic. Please hang in there. As my prof, JP Moreland used to encourage us in metaphysics, it's ok if you get 50% of it. It will begin to make sense later. In the same way, take heart. The Christian faith provides resources far greater than "just have faith and believe it" because the Christian faith is reasonable. So when you get to the first section, largely what Keller is trying to do is to remove some of the cobwebs from our mind as we have all experienced at least the question how God could exist when we experience so much evil, pain and suffering. Hang in there with the reading! It will pay off in the end!

This is a fantastic book. I do not read many devotional or non-fiction books because of the repetitive nature of so many books of this kind. I typically make my way through 1/4-1/3 of a topical book before finding myself bored and disinterested, and I often feel like I've gotten the message long before the point has been made (and wondering if the writer could have finished his or her point much earlier but for publishing purposes had to re-write repetitive content in order to fill out the pages of a full-length book). I'm not through this book, but each page keeps me riveted so far. It is divided into three distinct sections and purposes, all very deliberate and focused in their own right, so I imagine this is not going to be the same kind of experience for me. He is very scientific in his approach in the first part, Mr. Keller, so it does not feel like he is hammering a purpose but, rather, very clearly feels like a presentation of rationally researched substantiations for his viewpoints. He gives an incredible overview on cultural and historical and theological and scientific resources from so many perspectives that it feels exhaustive (in a fulfilling way) and has thus far highly impressed me. I do not want someone "glomming" onto an idea and topic and focusing his mass amount of writing on justifying his point. He is, instead, giving an in-depth discovery of what it means and has meant historically and culturally and religiously to suffer and the ways in which humanity has approached and both failed and succeeded in its suffering. It is pretty incredible and thought provoking. I do not find myself often impressed in these kind of teachings, but this one has pretty completely engrossed my focus and attention. We will have to see what kind of reactions the second and third parts bring from me. I feel excited and eagerly anticipatory of the discovery of these things.

This is an extraordinary book. The depth of the philosophical analysis and theology is both welcome and surprising. This book was written, after all, by a man deeply engaged in pastoral ministry and leadership of a network of churches. The humility one senses while enjoying his wisdom suggests this was a man who lived what he taught. On the spectrum of books that engage the heart or the mind, this book leans toward the intellect. But it is never cold or dry. Repeatedly, I stopped to marvel at how much good was packed into a single page, and how much good it did me to read it. It really is that good. I read this book twice. Once while navigating my own painful trials; I found it helpful. I read it again after time and distance made me ready for reflection. In this second reading I found it extraordinary and healing.

I have read several Keller books and there are a few that stand out as extremely well organized and thought out, as well as very nicely written. I would have to say that this is one of them. Suffering has always been a part of human experience and societies and cultures throughout history have attempted to come to terms with it, to find meaning for and in suffering or to simply reject it as something that must be fought and resisted tooth and nail. One of the interesting contributions of this book is that Keller summarizes nicely different historical and societal takes on suffering. One of the unexpected conclusions is that perhaps our secular, 21st century western world is ill equipped to deal with this issue. Drawing on both secular (Luc Ferry), Christian (Charles Taylor) or otherwise religious writers, Keller draws out nicely several different underlying premises that current thought on suffering rest on. In fact, there is much to learn not only on suffering, but on the general world view regarding the meaning of life in the West in present times. Keller also does a masterful job in presenting a Christian perspective on suffering. This is a crucial part of Keller's work because there is a strong tendency in Christian circles to view suffering in different ways that, Keller argues, are in and of themselves not Christian, but simply a transformation of other perspectives, that eventually undermine hope. By relying very nicely on places in Scripture where there are examples of suffering, including a central accent on the meaning of Christ's profound experience of suffering, Keller states some important truths: Christians are most able to feel the pain of suffering, most equipped to understand that suffering was not part of the original plan, most able to enter into suffering. But, also, they have the greatest hope, and cannot be destroyed by suffering. It is not and can never be what defines them, whether they are victims, or responsible for their situation. The Christian hope has trumped and will ultimately trump, all consequences of suffering. There is much Lewis, much Tolkien, old writers, new writers, the New York Times, the Atlantic Monthly, pastors and philosophers, scientists and journalists. All kinds of people are cited and given thought to, testimony to Keller's uncanny ability to speak to people's experience and cultural context. I have already started giving this book away to friends. I am impressed by Keller's writing in a couple of ways: He is able to describe profound Christian truths in extremely pertinent ways, speaking clearly to the ambiant culture. I have met and read few that do this well. Second, there is definitely the feeling that Keller treats his readers as intelligent, thoughtful individuals, who have also given reflexion to the issues he raises. Finally, you get the impression that Keller's long experience as a thoughtful pastor comes through in his work. I cannot recommend this book enough, not only for those who want to understanding suffering, but also for those who want to get a clearer picture of hope and how it might be becoming a rare commodity.

A little repetitive, one or two of the testimonies are questionable, some doctrinal assumptions need to be clarified, but in general a helpful book worth reading.

Writing this review after a month of the purchase, packaging was very good and the condition of the book is good too. May God be with you as you read this in your pain and suffering.

Thank you Timothy Keller for an outstanding book that has put a different perspective on my life. “ If you love anything more than God, you are always going to be in anxiety about it.”.

Ein wunderbar tiefes Buch, philosophisch und sehr ehrlich,.. zutiefst christlich, aber nicht *fromm". Tiefe Denker finden ehrliche Antworten auf tiefste Fragen... leidende Christen Trost und Ermutigung. Gott ist viel mehr... ER hat uns erschaffen, den Intellekt gegeben, sollte Er nicht auf unsere Fragen echte Antworten geben? Das Leiden ist vorab für Christen ein Problem, denn sie glauben an den guten allmächtigen Gott...! Sehr zu empfehlen, lernt denken, gibt aber auch tiefste Ermutigung und Trost!