Trusting God

In times of prosperity, the grand temptation for any Christian is to forget about God. In times of pain, the grand temptation is to not trust Him. Subsequently, what Trusting God develops is a biblically sound, Scripture-saturated theology of suffering that is firmly grounded in who God is (trustworthy). As a result, the truth that a believer will have their eyes opened to is that God never stops being sovereign, nor does He cease being good. What the reader then walks away with is encouragement and hope knowing that God is in complete control of their lives, even the minutiae. Yes, life can often be tough but only God can bring light out of darkness, and joy out of pain. Yes, life can often be tough but God never wastes pain and while we may lose the sense of God’s presence, we never lose Him. After all, He has promised never, ever to forsake His own. The Christian ought never to forget that the most egregious injustice ever committed was the Crucifixion of the Son God. Yet what did God do with the apex of human wickedness? He used it as a means to set-up the greatest divine accomplishment for man: the Resurrection. In Trusting God, the author does not try to make you “feel better” but rather explains your suffering to you. This explanation does not provide neat, specific, personalized answers to, “Why is God allowing this?” because (like in the case of Job’s suffering), the Scriptures do not undertake to explain mysteries to us. They leave them unexplained. Peace in the midst of adversity does not come from scientific elucidations but does come from trusting a God whose is sovereign, loving, wise and good. Peace and comfort are fruits of faith. What I think any reader will take home after reading this book is a greater understanding of who God is and His purposes. Consequently, persuasion of these truths will empower a believer to appropriate them in their daily circumstances so that they will learn to trust God in the midst of their pain, whatever form that may take. The author has a wonderful ability to communicate profound biblical truths in simple, plain language, making the divine wisdom and practical lessons contained in this text accessible to anyone. This is one of the most powerful theology books I have ever read and I think this classic text deserves a place in every Christian’s library. I encourage all curious readers to read this text and behold the majesty and excellence of the One True God who works all things (whether good or bad) for good for those who love Him.

I am on my 2nd read of this book. My home collection of religious/faith books is very large, and over the decades I have become disenchanted with how much and how often even established, trusted authors casually interpret God for us. They quote one or two verses of Scripture -- and then write 25 paragraphs about what God meant, with lots of thoughts that I cannot find back-up in my Bible. "Disenchanted" is putting it mildly. Jerry Bridges covers some difficult topics, topics that are deeper and more expansive than some of us want to go. What I love about this book is that even with the toughest issues, Jerry Bridges is not afraid to ask, "Is this Biblical? Where in the Bible are the Scriptural verses to support this?" Then, he finds them and prints them. He will make an assertion and then offer Scripture as its foundation. Often, if the Scriptural reference is Old Testament, he will also "tell the story" behind the verses. Yet -- all of this is EASY reading, or at least I have found it so. He uses the language that us ordinary church-goers use. But he does so with such flair and such specificity that it's impossible to miss his point. I have always thought -- the Bible should be able to stand by itself. It should not require 1,000 books by 30 different authors to "explain" what God meant. God is, after all, clearly capable of making Himself clear. Right???? For me, this book is about more than trusting God. It's about KNOWING God, knowing the One I have chosen to trust with my life and everything in it. Jerry Bridges paints an incredibly detailed portrait of that One, founded on Scripture and exemplified in the experiences of everyday people. As a person with a BIG collection of books (many of which have been donated to resale shops), I can attest to this one. It's a keeper, worth reading more than once.

This is one of those books that you'll read over and over throughout life! And it's a great one to gift, so always have one or two extra copies on hand to share because, again, you'll want to keep your own copy to read again! It's full of sound Biblical doctrine and it even includes homeowrk questions to allow the reader to further dig into Scripture. Besides the Bible, this is my most recommended book! I'm always telling others... Read this book!

Have read several times and learn something new each time. Life changing.

There’s freedom waiting in this book. Freedom from fear, anxiety, hopelessness, etc. Freedom from the need to control everything. Freedom to trust in the God who didn’t spare his own son for your sake. He is trustworthy and good and this book goes straight to the source of truth for all those who need to hear it

Good book explaining the Providence of God and the Sovereignty of God and how to go through trials without blaming God.

Loved this book. So much so that I bought several more for Christmas gifts.

I choose this rating because this book has been well written, I have been asked many times in my Christian life , why does God let bad things happen to good people, now I can anser in detail. I drew so much from it myself, I can say it has matured me in my walk with God. well done to Jerry Bridges.

Incredible book! Wish I’d read it years ago. Very encouraging read about trusting God. Work book attached really makes you dig into the truth of Gods word. Have bought several as gifts for others.

Christians generally believe in the sovereignty of God. One could ask, God is in control, what's there to write about? But Jerry Bridges really explains this profound concept in an understandable way that gets you pondering some great truths. Highly recommended for every believer.

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