Why?: Trusting God When You Don't Understand [Hardcover]

Anne Graham Lotz (Author), Joni Eareckson Tada (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2004

Called "the best preacher in the family," by her father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and the authority of years spent studying God's Word. In her latest book, Anne shares her heart and God's teachings on the universal problem of suffering.

Drawing her characteristically keen insights from the familiar story of Lazarus in the ninth and eleventh chapters of the Gospel of John, Anne offers Jesus' reassuring answers to our heartfelt cries for understanding:

• Why doesn't God care?
• Why does He let these things happen?
• Why me?
• Why doesn't God answer my prayers?
• Why didn't He protect me?
• Why doesn't He perform a miracle?

Why? helps us understand and deal with suffering while guiding us to the ultimate answer--the Savior who shares our grief and our tears.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As the daughter of Billy and Ruth Bell Graham, Lotz, now a renowned speaker and author in her own right, has much for which to give thanks, and she knows it. Still, like any other person with a heartbeat, Lotz's life has been riddled with times of desperation and heartrending sorrow. The author of Just Give Me Jesus and My Heart's Cry openly reveals the struggle she's endured in attempting to make sense of death, disease and suffering. Drawing upon John 11, she retells the story of sisters Mary and Martha and the death and eventual resurrection of their brother, Lazarus. Throughout this pithy, passionate book, Lotz eloquently imagines the emotional and spiritual agony Martha in particular endured while waiting for Jesus to intervene. Searching believers will gratefully grab the hope Lotz imparts as she reinforces a foundational scriptural truth: no matter the circumstance, and even when facing certain defeat, one can trust God because of who he is. Skeptics notwithstanding, Lotz treats this topic with the respect it deserves. She does not answer everyone's "why's," nor does she offer pat answers to those who are hurting. Instead, she suggests to Christians that frequently pain is a requirement for our eventual good and God's ultimate glory. Dedicated to "those who have unanswered prayers," Lotz covers the scope of human suffering with prose that is sure to find its place among other classic works of faith.
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About the Author

ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ, daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, is the President and Executive Director of AnGeL Ministries, a non-profit organization offering Christian outreach. Anne has spoken on all seven continents in more than twenty foreign countries, proclaiming the word of God at seminaries, colleges, conferences and revivals. Anne and her husband, Daniel, reside in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 141 pages
• Publisher: W Publishing Group (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849917867
• ISBN-13: 978-0849917868
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, is the president and CEO of AnGeL Ministries (www.annegrahamlotz.com), a nonprofit organization that undergirds her efforts to draw people into a life-changing relationship with God through His Word. Anne has spoken on seven continents, in more than twenty foreign countries, proclaiming the Word of God in arenas, churches, seminaries, and prisons. She is the award-winning author of ten books, including her signature book, Just Give Me Jesus. In 2000 she launched her revival ministry, also entitled Just Give Me Jesus. This free event has been held for hundreds of thousands of women in more than thirty major cities in the United States, Asia, the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and South America.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars... Highly Recommended, and not just for Christians, October 20, 2004

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why?: Trusting God When You Don't Understand (Hardcover)

At a recent Sunday sermon, the minister in our church spoke to us again about why bad things happen, in the context of "Avoiding the Ultimate Disaster" and Luke 13:1-9. As if by coincidence, a few days later I saw this book, and I picked it up. It's one of the most common questions that I hear raised by those people that aren't religious: why does God let bad things happen, why doesn't he do something about (fill in the blank/take your pick of the latest world disaster). It is indeed a perplex question, but one that has an answer.

In a short amount of space (115 pages), Anne Lotz not only explains why, but gives guidance on how to deal with the issues of suffering and pain ("trust in God" being the key factor). Very helpful is that the author writes about these complex issues in very plain-spoken English. Most importantly, this book provides a message of hope, namely that even though this is far from a perfect world (as the result of humanity having received the gift of choice, which inevitably includes the freedom of bad choices by many), there is HOPE, as long as one trusts in God. Excellent book, and highly recommended for everyone, not just Christians.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "When You Need to Understand the Mind of God...", May 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Why?: Trusting God When You Don't Understand (Hardcover)

What a great title for a book which seeks to answer the question we all ask!

This book presents, in a user-friendly way, Bible theology on why bad things happen to good people. The author puts her heart and soul into this discussion, and, with John 11 as the focus, never strays from what God would have us learn.

While I enjoyed the format Lotz used for the work--and feel the principles addressed were theologically sound, to me the work was a bit limited. The same genre of discussion on understanding the mind of God--plus numerous other such topics (suffering, integrity, spirituality and gifts, etc.) are much more broadly discussed in earlier works such as "Where is God When It Hurts", and particularly "With Joseph in the University of Adversity" (my favorite--IF you can get your hands on it).

All in all, Lotz is a warm and capable writer who knows her stuff. There is little to fault in this work, and perhaps I was looking for a bit more 'meat and potatoes', while I was served precisely what was advertised. RECOMMENDED.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful reminder to trust God's heart when we can't see His hand., January 2, 2006

By 

Tracy D. Cook (Birmingham, AL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why?: Trusting God When You Don't Understand (Hardcover)

I became acquainted with Anne Graham Lotz's book only a few weeks ago when a guest speaker at my church presented a message entitled "Why?" I was truly blessed by it and it came at a time of great distress in my life that has recently taken place (I was forced to leave my job after only being there for three weeks and not really getting to do the job; needless to say, it created a great deal of financial and emotional distress for me and my wife). I happened to see her book in the local library and chose to check it out. To my pleasant surprise, I learned that this was the inspiration behind the message I heard in church.
Anne takes the story of Lazarus in John 11, and gently gleans from the story comforting and encouraging reminders of God's love, care and providence in any difficult situation. Readers of the book will appreciate that she doesn't come across with cliches or the attitude of knowing everythng that there is to know about having faith in the midst of trouble (as evidenced in her book, many of the lessons came as a result of her own personal troubles). Anne's creative way of presenting the material will be evident as the reader reads her book. If there is a friend or loved one who is going through their own Lazarus experience, and like Mary and Martha, are wondering "Why is this happening?" , this book is a excellent resource. When we can't understand why, we can trust God.