Be Still, My Soul (25 Classic and Contemporary Readings on the Problem of Pain): Embracing God's Purpose and Provision in Suffering [Paperback]

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Contributor), D. A. Carson (Contributor), J. I. Packer (Contributor), Nancy Guthrie (Editor), Jerry Bridges (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2010

Since the beginning of humanity, the question of suffering-why it happens and how God works in it-has existed. What are you doing, God? Why is this happening? Where are you? These questions fill our thoughts when we experience deep pain and tragedy. Having lost two young children who suffered from a rare and incurable disease, editor Nancy Guthrie has put together this helpful collection of short readings exploring the question of suffering.

This anthology includes essays from both classic and contemporary theologians, Bible teachers, and missionaries such as John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Piper, Corrie ten Boom, Joni Eareckson Tada, and Helen Roseveare. Each entry expounds on a Bible verse, leading readers to see and be comforted by God's perspective, purpose, and provision in suffering.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

NANCY GUTHRIE teaches the Bible at conferences around the country and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Covenant Theological Seminary. She and her husband, David, are the co-hosts of the GriefShare video series used in over 8,500 churches around the country and host Respite Retreats for couples who have faced the death of a child. She is the author of numerous books including Holding on to Hope, The One Year Book of Hope, Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow and The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament. Guthrie is also the editor of a series of anthologies published by Crossway including Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross, and O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.

From AudioFile

Nancy Guthrie offers a poignant and powerful depiction of losing two infants and the comfort and hope she found in Christ after that experience. Her story reflects bittersweet sorrow, joy, and peace in this collection of essays on pain and suffering. In them she discusses classic and contemporary theologians such as John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Piper, Corrie Ten Boom, and more. Narrator Sharilynn Dunn narrates some of the essays, excelling in particular with her depiction of Joni Tada Eareckson's belief that her spinal cord injury was "God's good and loving Plan A" for her life. Kelly Dolan narrates the rest of the essays, in particular capturing C.S. Lewis's message on pain and suffering from God's point of view. Guthrie believes that God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves, and she hopes to give listeners the same comfort that she has experienced. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Crossway; Original edition (February 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433511851
• ISBN-13: 978-1433511851
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Collection of Readings on Suffering April 19, 2010

By Rebecca Stark

Format:Paperback

If you've lived long enough, you know that very few, if any, escape suffering somewhere along the line. When those trials come, we need a rock solid ground beneath us. This secure stability in difficulty is what Nancy Guthrie hopes to guide us to in Be Still, My Soul. She writes:

"The scriptural truths elucidated in this book by respected classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers are the truths that have been the solid foundation under my feet in the storms of suffering and sorrow in my life."

Like two others of Nancy Guthrie's books, this is a collection of readings by various authors on a single topic. In this book the subject is God's perspective, purpose, and provision in suffering. Nancy Guthrie, who lost two of her children as infants and who has written books on the subject of God and suffering is uniquely equipped to compile selections that will give the reader courage, hope, and peace in suffering.

The twenty five chapters in Be Still, My Soul are written by twenty-five authors from very different backgrounds, circumstances, and times: A. W. Tozer; Os Guiness, D. A. Carson; Augustine; Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Newton, to list some. The book is divided in three sections: nine pieces on God's perspective on suffering (how suffering fits in the big picture); eight on God's purpose in suffering (how suffering is used by God for specific purposes); and eight on God's provision in suffering (how God cares for us in difficulties).

As you might expect, there were some readings I liked more than others. There were also a few places where I either questioned the way certain points were made or questioned the points themselves. But that's okay. I rarely agree with everything written in a book, and when one features twenty-five different authors from various theological traditions, I expect to disagree in at least a few places.

I've already posted two short excerpts from this book--one by R. C. Sproul and one from D. A. Carson. Let me give one more taste of what you'll find in Be Still, My Soul. Here is Joni Eareckson Tada from God's Plan A, where she argues that the accident that permanently and totally paralyzed was God's "good and loving Plan A" for her life, and used by him to make her more like Christ:

"When suffering sandblasts us to the core, the true stuff of which we are made is revealed. Suffering lobs a hand-grenade into our self-centeredness, blasting our soul bare, so we can be better bonded to the Savior. Our afflictions help to make us holy. And we are never more like Christ, never more filled with his joy, peace, and power, than when sin is uprooted from our lives."

That the chapters are short--four to eight pages or so--and centered on one point is a big bonus. It's a format that's appropriate for people who are right now in the midst of difficult circumstances, who may not have the time or focus to work through a book with longer chapters that build on each other. This doesn't mean, however, that all the pieces are easy to read. A few, particularly those written by historical Christians, use language that requires concentration and maybe a little work. (Will you think less of me if I admit that that I'm still not sure I understood the piece written by Bonhoeffer?) Don't let this discourage you from reading; the more difficult chapters are worth the effort they take.

Nancy Guthrie is an editor who chooses well, making this an excellent collection of reading on suffering. If you are feeling the need for a little solid ground in the midst life's storms, Be Still, My Soul is an excellent to start.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Encouraging Collection of Reflections on Suffering August 20, 2010

By Ched Spellman

Format:Paperback

Suffering is often as difficult to understand as it is to endure. The burden of sorrow and the weight of suffering are interwoven elements of our reality. Thus, grappling with the gravity of pain in a sin-riddled world is not an optional task.

Recognizing the urgency of this reality, in this volume Nancy Guthrie has collected twenty-five readings on the problem of pain. Writing out of her own experiences, Guthrie confesses that suffering "pushes us deeper into the mystery of God. It makes us more desperate for him, to hear from him and sense his presence" (10). Her preface is indicative of the type of thoughtful reflection found in the selections throughout the volume.

She highlights what I think is one of the strengths of the collection by holding out a supernatural hope without diminishing the horror of human pain. She writes, "I am not holding on to hope in terms of a positive perspective about the future or an innate sense of optimism, but rather holding on to the living person of Jesus Christ." This type of resolve involves "grabbing hold of the promises of God, his purposes, and his provision, and refusing to let go."

Accordingly, her goal for this compilation of readings is that they would "shape your thinking, steel your resolve, and still your soul" (11). There are three distinct features of the volume that serve this end.

First, the structure of the book provides a helpful framework by which a believer might understand his or her adversity. The chapters are divided into three main parts: God's perspective on suffering, God's purpose in suffering, and God's provision in suffering. The chapters under each of these headings function as variations on these themes. This rubric can enable a suffering believer to trust in God while not fully understanding every aspect of seemingly meaningless hardship. Meditating on these three themes could serve as a lifeline for someone before, during, and after those types of situations that seem to shake even the strongest theological foundations.

Second, each chapter begins with a biblical text that relates to suffering. Some contributors reflect directly on that passage, and others use the verse as a complement to a broader theme. These passages provide readers with some of the most appropriate places in the Bible for understanding suffering. This feature will be particularly helpful for a reader using the book in a daily-devotional format.

Third, the content of the chapters themselves is consistent and encouraging. To highlight a sampling of the essays, Tim Keller shows how suffering can be "the servant of our joy." Joni Eareckson Tada views her hardship as "God's plan A." Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflects on what it means to "bear" suffering. Missionary Helen Roseveare talks about "when cost becomes privilege." D. A. Carson encourages believers to think about how to "die well." John Piper speaks of the power that comes in weakness, and Jonathan Edwards ends the volume with a word on the "refuge and rest" found only in Christ. While there is diversity among these contributors (e.g., classic/contemporary, pastors/scholars, men/women), Guthrie does a fine job of keying the selections and excerpts to the themes of the three sections. Most of the chapters also function well as stand-alone units.

An additional benefit of this volume is that readers will be exposed to a strong view of God's providence. This recognition of God's absolute authority over all things functions as an inner nerve that binds the various themes and perspectives of the contributors. Indeed, the reflections here are generated by the conviction that God is both good and sovereign. This conviction is necessary for one to speak of God's purpose as well as God's provision in suffering.

One feature I would like to have seen is more exact citations. The acknowledgements for the readings are located at the end of each chapter followed by a brief biographical note. These are helpful, especially for some of the less well-known figures. However, no page numbers are provided, so readers will have to do some digging if they want to pursue the thinking of the chapter in the original work. Also, it is unclear how much abridgement and modernization has occurred for some of the selections during the editorial process.

In these short readings, Guthrie has given believers an occasion for self-reflection. Here you will find no easy answers or superficial articulations of the questions. The contributors acknowledge the evil of suffering and maintain a proper tone of solemnity when addressing these issues. These chapters are best read slowly and alongside introspective reflection, not because of the difficulty of their content but the gravity of their subject.

I am grateful for this little book, because it kept reminding of a big God; A God who beckons in the midst of pain, "Be still, my child, and cling to your redeemer."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Problem of Suffering July 5, 2010

By Reformed Renegade

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Suffering will always be with us. How we should handle suffering, even in the best of times for the most devoted follower of Christ, may not always be clear to us. In "Be Still, My Soul: Embracing God's Purpose and Provision in Suffering" we have a memorable collection of essays from theologians, past and present, sharing their experience and pastoral advice.

The authors in this valuable compilation range from John Newton to Corrie Ten Boom, from Augustine to D.A. Carson, each, in his or her own way, sharing an encouraging and comforting message. Editor Nancy Guthrie has done a brilliant job selecting each essay for the book. Reflecting on pain and suffering is something we spend far too little time on today. Suffering will affect your life someday and this work will enlighten as it informs its reader to God's merciful work in trials.