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Suffering and the Sovereignty of God
John Piper and Justin Taylor, editors

This collection of conference messages has convinced me that we cannot limit God's involvement in our suffering and loss to the fact that he "allowed" it; we must grapple with the truth that in his sovereignty, he ordained it.

When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty
by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes

As if Joni's radiant life were not a strong enough refutation of the health-and-wealth gospel, her soundly scriptural exploration of suffering convinces us that while God does not promise to remove our suffering, he does promise to redeem it.

A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss
by Jerry Sittser

Sittser, with a unique depth of wisdom and the compassionate companionship of someone who has "been there," invites the possibility that God can use our seemingly senseless loss for good.

A Grief Observed
by C. S. Lewis

Lewis's raw emotions in the throes of losing his beloved helped me to feel not so alone. I weep again when underlined phrases remind me how it first felt to read, "Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything."

Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud
by Philip Yancey

Perhaps the most lingering insight is Yancey's suggestion that we surrender our quest to understand "why?" and instead begin to ask, "to what end?" thus infusing the struggle with purpose and meaning.

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Christianity Today interviewed Nancy Guthrie about her latest book, Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow (Tyndale House, July 2009).

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August 2009, Vol. 53, No. 8