Book Review: God’s Grace in Your Suffering (David Powlison)

David Powlison is one of my favorite authors, and I would encourage you to read anything he has written. That said, his contribution on suffering is exceptionally helpful and heart-felt - and his experience with terminal cancer demonstrated in his life what taught. His thesis is straightforward: while we all experience suffering uniquely, we must all see it in light of the goodness of God. To accomplish this, Powlison uses the old hymn, “How Firm a Foundation” as his framework.

Powlison begins by addressing in his first several chapters the fact that God has spoken, and he has done so sufficiently. He has provided everything we need to know him and answer our questions of life, death, purpose, goodness, truth, and a host of others. We need only listen to him carefully. In the next several chapters, Powlison goes on to discuss God’s presence with us in the midst of suffering, leading his readers to see that we need to go beyond mere acceptance of our suffering, and lean in to trust the Lord with his purposes in our difficult circumstances. Perhaps one of the most reassuring promises from the Lord is that he will never leave or forsake us - that is the foundation of the final two chapters of God’s Grace in Your Suffering.

Powlison has served us well with his wisdom and winsomeness, and they are both on display here. Though God’s Grace in Your Suffering is brief, it is solid and thoughtful, and will be helpful for anyone going through suffering (and those who are caring for them). I hope we as a church will follow Powlison’s advice in turning to the Lord with faithful, hopeful trust. May we, by God’s grace, also follow his example when suffering darkens our doorstep.