Part of shared experience of being human in a broken world is suffering.
We want to share some resources that give perspective and can help you suffer well.
As mentioned in previous teaching on Job, Tim Keller has a phenomenal book called “Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering.” that is a deep dive into scripture and seeing how God walks with us and works through our suffering
An excerpt:
“We must recognize, depend on, speak with, and believe in God while in the fire. God himself says in Isaiah 43 that he will be with us, walking beside us in the fire. Knowing him personally while in our affliction is the key to becoming stronger rather than weaker in it.”
You can buy it here.
You can rent it from the local library here.
If you’re short on time or want a snapshot - here’s 20 quotes from the book.
Here’s an article on the process of suffering and how we can move through suffering well. “Getting Stuck in Suffering.”
YouVersion has multiple reading plans to point us to the promises of scripture in suffering - One of them is a 7 day plan called “Growing through Suffering.”
Kate Bowler has a thought provoking book after a crushing cancer diagnosis “Everything Happens for a Reason, and other lies I’ve loved.”
Tish Harrison Warren has couple helpful little books - Prayer in the Night and What Grows in Weary Lands
Ben Sasse has written and reflected well on suffering and dying. Article here. Interview here.
For resources on present-day persection and prayer guides, check out Voice of the Martyrs
Finally, one of the most helpful things in suffering can be songs.
Here’s a curated playlist on Spotify, “Songs for Hard Times.”
And a couple thoughtful and helpful songs below: