Customer Reviews

Trusting God

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4 star:		(7)
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Bridges starts out at the beginning saying that you shouldn't read this book WHILE you are going through hard times, so of course I did. And I was very angry with some things he said at the beginning so I thought I would go through and see what I could "blast" him for. Instead, this book changed my life. He has three main points you MUST learn if you want to know God better: God's Sovereignty, God's Wisdom, and God's Love. One without the other two will leave you right where you are. Learn all three and your life will be changed. As I began to read just how much God does love us, I could accept His wisdom and sovereignty in all things and the "whys" gave way to the acceptance we need in order to not only survive hard times, but be at peace with them. You will learn to Trust God .... even when life hurts.

This is the most comprehensive and best of the three Bridges books I have read. The authors purpose is two-fold. First, he wants the reader to glorify God by acknowledging God's sovereignty and goodness in the midst of tragedy. Second, he wants to encourage God's people by showing that God is in control of our lives. Bridges purpose is limited. It is not a theological exploration into the origin of pain and suffering, but a book to help the reader deal with pain and suffering on a level of faith, of trusting in God that things do not just happen.

Although evangelical Christians often give lip service to the sovereignty of God, many are for all practical purposes are Christian deists. They see God as being too distant our unable to intervene in times of trouble. I appreciate that Bridges does not duck the tough issues. He refuses to wrap up all the theological loose ends when discussing the sovereignty of God. Like Tozer, he recognizes that there are some issues to which there are no neat and tidy answers. Unlike many other authors who write on this subject, he does not slavishly follow C.S. Lewis The Problem of Pain. It is refreshing to read a fresh perspective on the subject rather than merely hearing Lewis arguments parroted again.

Although I was very impressed with the book, there were a few areas that caught my attention. Bridges does not deal comprehensively with the idea of spiritual warfare. I would have also liked to see a fuller discussion on the passive will of God. In fact, it is not mentioned in the first one hundred pages or so. It would have been good to have a fuller discussion of the alternative views of God's sovereignty, but then, that would have doubled or tripled the lengthy of the book.

This is truly a great book. I could hardly put it down, one of the best I have read on the providence and sovereignty of God. I would also recommend Jack Contrell's volume, What the Bible Says About God the Ruler, College Press, 1884. Although not a Calvinist, Contrell writes one of the most persuasive arguments for the sovereignty of God I have read. He also explores alternative views of sovereignty (pagan, existential, deists, etc.) and their weaknesses.

If you are currently in the midst of deep emotional pain and turmoil in your life, as I am, this book is absolutely essential. I know firsthand what it means to love God but be sure He has abandoned you in the middle of a terrible time. Be assured, He has not, but when you are suffering, it is unbelievably difficult sometimes to trust Him. Where is He? Why doesn't He answer our prayers, if He loves us so much? This book answers that question. It is written along the same lines as Disappointment With God (another great book) by Philip Yancey, but this one goes much more in depth and explains things in a much clearer way, in my opinion, especially for one who is reading it with a mind that is clouded by hurt and pain. Don't turn away from God-- hold on!! He will not leave you with more than you can bear, if you turn to Him to help you bear it. Jerry Bridges shows you how to do this in Trusting God Even When Life Hurts. A truly great and healing book.

I first picked up this volume a couple years ago when I was going through a severe spiritual trial. One of the lessons I had to learn at that time was to come to grips with God's limitless sovereignty, and to conclude from His sovereignty that I could trust Him -- not just with the issues I was then facing, but with every aspect of my life. At that time I read only about one-third of the book, which struck me as terribly redundant in its seemingly endless presentation of God's sovereignty. Once I got my fill of that, I put the book aside.

In the past month, however, I have had occasion to re-read this book in its entirety as part of a men's discipleship study. I still thought it was redundant, taking over 200 pages to say what could be said effectively in half that amount of space. Nevertheless, when you get past the sections on sovereignty to the chapters on God's love and wisdom, you will see a grand and comprehensive picture (to the extent we are able as finite humans) of God's wise and careful guidance of the whole of His creation for His glory and our good.

I must take issue with the review of Rev. Bud Espers (the very first one under this listing). Apparently he didn't read the same book as the rest of us, or at least not the second half of it ... or maybe he simply hasn't read his Bible. If he did, I don't see how he could draw the conclusions that he did about Bridges or this book. Yes, God's sovereignty can be a scary thing, and can come across as "cold and uncaring" (to use Mr. Espers' words) unless you understand the broader teachings of scripture about the nature and character of God. Bridges is also very careful to point out that our "good" is conformity to the image of Christ, not comfort, ease or "happiness" in this life. Don't get the two confused or you'll likely reach the same cynical conclusion as Mr. Espers.

That's why I think Bridges' inclusion of the chapters on wisdom and love are indispensible to a proper presentation of these issues. God is just as loving and wise as He is sovereign, and if you get out of balance on these or any of God's attributes, you will end up with a skewed picture just like Mr. Espers. As a serious student of the Bible, I can say with some confidence that this book is theologically quite solid, and is heavily supported by scripture. One of the benefits of having so much redundancy is that the author drives home his point from so many different angles as to leave no room for doubt about its biblical veracity.

To sum it up, this is a book for hurting people who need to come to grips not with their circumstances, but with the God who orders the circumstances. Life is hard and frequently painful, and unless we learn that God is trustworthy and has our greater good in mind, this life will be terrifying indeed. The apostle Paul said it best in Romans 8:18 -- "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us." You can only have that attitude, though, if you have a proper biblical understanding of God's sovereignty. This book is a great place to find it.

This is - BY FAR - the best book that I have EVER read on the subject of how to deal with suffering. Mr. Bridges does not simply dwell on the subject of the sovereignty of God, and spend the rest of the book telling people who are suffering that they should just "suck it up" and trust God blindly. The first 7 chapters of the book do deal with the sovereignty of God. But Mr. Bridges goes a step further in the last 7 chapters of the book: he talks about the will of God and the love of God. This book has been such an encouragement to me through some very difficult times. It is a book I highly recommend...and loan out on a very regular basis!

This treatise on the seen and unseen sovereignty of our Lord has totally rearranged my way of thinking! Jerry Bridges forces us to take a long, hard look at the difficult issues of life, and asks the question: Can we (you) trust God?

Often times, our one, two, three, or four-dimensional outlook limits what we can or can't see of God. However, one thing is for sure: God's will will be done. With us, or inspite of us - it will be done! Jerry Bridges has evidently spent many hours on his knees in prayer and meditation to have been given the revelations found within the covers of his book. We should listen and endevor to do what Mr. Bridges advocates, which is to trust God's motivations and intentions for all our lives. In reality, the scenario won't be "limiting" as our natural mind might suppose. Rather, we will be "all" we can be in a great and eternal way if we follow the teachings of Holy Scripture and the admonishments of the author!

This is a great book, and I truely look forward to reading more of Jerry Bridge's work!

One of my greatest weaknesses as a Christian is trusting God during challenges, problems, and hard times. There are so many people in our religious culture saying "God is in control" or "just trust that God will work things out", but how does a person trust God during true difficulties. The author really does take the time to explain what trust is all about and how to overcome our fears or barriers of trusting God. The scripture references are excellent and applicable to anyone's life. I strongly recommend this book to everyone, especially to those who find themselves worrying and be anxious about anything in life. This book changed my life forever.

This book teaches (better than any other)that God is in tune and does care and is involved behind the scenes in YOUR life. It is a great book if you doubt God's care or observance during the hard times that life can deal. It provides many scriptures to support that God can be trusted and we can find security in trusting God - regardless of our circumstances.

I originally got this book because - to be quite frank - because I thought it was apropos after having lost my home, all my possessions and having my health seriously compromised this past July in an environmental accident. A reminder to trust God in the midst of all that seemed ... well ... right. Little did I know how important the message in this book would be for me in this moment of my journey.

Warning: this book is not for the faint-hearted. It will challenge you, remind you, move you, undo you, humble you, lift you, convict you and ultimately, change you.

When I started reading the book, I thought I lived in a way that allowed God to function in my life unhindered - or out of the box, if you will. However, I quickly learned that I had actually forgotten how big He is and how sovereign He is. In addition, I came to the brutal reality that I had not let Him out of the box but had actually put him back in the box! Sigh...

I had climbed back up into the front seat, grabbed the steering wheel from God and had taken over for him, yet again. The sad thing is, I hadn't even realized that I had done that.

This book reminded me of so many things: God is sovereign, God loves me unconditionally, God is ALWAYS there even when I can't feel or sense him, God NEVER lies and on and on. I walked into this book,, bound but walked out of it, free.

There is a quote that Jerry Bridges writes at the end of the book that perfectly sums this book up. He says, "Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelms us."

Bottom line, for me personally, is that this book reminded me that this thing called Christianity is a relationship with a real God and it takes a continuous effort on my part as well. I must vigorously work to constantly stand in the midst of unthinkable challenges and situations and trust that God is working everything out for my good.

Jerry reminds us that if we believe God is sovereign, then we must also understand - while living our lives accordingly - that God brings all the good things that come into our life (and we should always give Him thanks for) and (and this was the part that was so challenging for me) that GOD also ALLOWS THE BAD TO COME IN AS WELL. He does if for several reasons. For His glory, for our good or for both - His glory and our good.

Coming to terms with the concept that God allowed the incident that happened to me persnanally in which I lost my home and all my possessions, as well as, the damage that was caused to my lungs, was challenging to say the least. It challenged me on so many levels. It drove me to read Job over and over. I struggled to understand why?

And then something incredible happened. I realized that if He allowed it, He already had the answer on its way. He was already taking care of me. He would lead me forward and show me the way. This horrible situation that happened to me was not mistake, it wasn't fate, it wasn't the cosmos. He already knew. The whole situation had been in His hands the whole entire time. I was never alone - even when every fiber of my being told me I was. Incredible....

"Why it happened" questions suddenly fell to the wayside and were replaced with "what questions". What do you want me to do God?

Beyond my own crisis, this book also put the times we live in and all the craziness that is going on all around us, into perspective for me, as well. I don't have to fret or worry or wonder, because, God is in control of EVERY detail. He knows exactly what He is doing and all I have to do is CHOOSE to TRUST HIM.

For me, there was this ability in that epiphany to just breathe and let go. I was finally able to surrender what happened to with my home, possessions, and health, as well as, what was happening around me. I knew that someone great than me, than greater than all, was in complete control. I could finally let go of the steering wheel and follow.

*I received this book free from NavPress as part of their Blogging 4 Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

What a classic. This book was required reading for a Biblical Counseling class at Southern Seminary. It has forever changed the way I view my faith. When we meditate on God's omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence, we cannot help but trust Him! If we truly believe He only purposes good for us, (Romans 8:28-29), then we will trust Him in all we go through!

What a blessing this book has been.