Digital Logos Edition
Whether it's a devastating natural disaster half a world away, or a tragic accident involving a beloved family member, we all face troubles, trials, and tragedies every day. How will we respond? When terrorists strike or storms hit or relationships break down, we all search for the same answers: why? Where is God in all of this? Is God really in control?
Best-selling author Jerry Bridges, one of the most trusted Christian writers of our time, helps you wrestle with these questions in the clear light of the scriptures. As a result, you can learn to understand and trust God's wisdom, love, and sovereignty in the midst of the little disappointments and the big tragedies. And you can experience comfort and hope by exploring the greater purposes of an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God.
“God’s providence is His constant care for and His absolute rule over all His creation for His own glory and the good of His people.” (Page 25)
“Confidence in God’s sovereignty in all that influences us is crucial to our trusting Him. If there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control then we cannot trust Him. His love may be infinite, but if His power is limited and His purpose can be thwarted, we cannot trust Him.” (Page 29)
“But what should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an all-powerful and all-loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God’s eternal plan, and He brings or allows into our lives only what is for His glory and our good.” (Page 37)
“Paul acknowledged what we must acknowledge if we are to trust God. God’s plan and His ways of working out His plan are frequently beyond our ability to fathom and understand. We must learn to trust when we don’t understand.” (Page 21)
“God rules as surely on earth as He does in Heaven. For reasons known only to Himself, God permits people to act contrary to and in defiance of His revealed will in the Bible. However, He never permits them to act contrary to His sovereign will, which remains incomprehensible to us.” (Pages 29–30)
Few modern writers are able to make biblical truth more understandable than Jerry Bridges. And few biblical truths are more vital to understand for the Christian life than those covered in this outstanding book. I know of no better introduction to the topics of sovereignty and suffering.
—C. J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries