Preface
When I was fourteen years old, my mother died suddenly, without warning. I was in the adjoining room and rushed in just in time to see her gasp her last breath. I was stunned and devastated. My older brother was away at school, and my dad was too stricken with grief himself to be able to help me. Worst of all, I did not know how to turn to God in times of trouble. I was alone in my adversity.
That was not the first time adversity had struck in my life, and it was certainly not to be the last. As the Scripture says, “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). All of us experience adversity at different times and in varying degrees throughout our lives.
Learning to trust God in adversity has been a slow and difficult process for me. It is a process that is still under way. But several years ago, in an effort to strengthen my own trust in God, I began a lengthy Bible study on the subject of God’s sovereignty in the affairs of His people. That study has helped me immeasurably, and it is the fruit of that study I now share with you.
During the time of the study, which actually covered a period of about four years, I encountered other believers who were struggling with some of the same issues I was: Does God actually control the circumstances of our lives, or do “bad” things just happen to us because we live in a sin-cursed world? If God really does control the circumstances of our lives, why did He allow my friend to get cancer? Can I truly trust God when the going gets tough in different areas of my life?
This book, then, was born out of the results of addressing needs in my own life and realizing that many other believers have similar questions and doubts. It is written from the perspective of a brother and companion to all those who are tempted at times to ask, “Can I really trust God?”
Trusting God has been a difficult book to write. For one thing, I have become much more aware of the widespread and frequent occurrences of adversity around me. I had not realized as acutely as I do now the pervasive nature of suffering and heartache, especially among believers. As a result of my heightened perception of suffering around me, I found myself frequently asking, “Do I truly believe what I am writing?”
Another difficulty for me has been the realization that many of my friends have experienced far greater adversity than I have. Who am I to seek to write words of instruction and encouragement to them when I have not experienced the measure of pain they have? My answer to that question is the realization that the truth of God’s Word and the encouragement it is intended to give is not dependent upon my experience. I have not written this book about my experiences, which are not particularly unusual. I have written it as a Bible study about God and His sovereignty, wisdom, and love as they bear upon the adversities we all encounter.
Trusting God is written for the average Christian who has not necessarily experienced major catastrophe but who does frequently encounter the typical adversities and heartaches of life: the pregnancy miscarriage, the lost job, the auto accident, the rebellious son or daughter, the unfair professor in college. These events do not make the “front page” of our lives; indeed, they are often buried within a broken or confused heart. Because of their low-keyness, they usually generate very little prayer support from our Christian friends.
I sincerely hope that none of the statements I make in the following chapters come across as glib and easy answers to the difficult problems of adversity and suffering. There are no easy answers. Adversity is difficult even when we know God is in control of our circumstances. In fact, that knowledge sometimes tends to aggravate the pain. “If God is in control,” we ask, “why did He allow this to happen?”
The purpose of this book is twofold: First, I desire to glorify God by acknowledging His sovereignty and His goodness. Second, I desire to encourage God’s people by demonstrating from Scripture that God is in control of their lives, that He does indeed love them, and that He works out all the circumstances of their lives for their ultimate good.
The reader will notice an abundance of quotations from other writers. This book, though, is not merely a synthesis of other people’s views. The basic convictions stated in these chapters are the result of my own personal Bible study done over a long period of time. I acknowledge, however, my indebtedness to other writers for affirmation and, in some instances, clarification of my understanding of some of these truths.
I want to express my appreciation to a number of people who have contributed to the writing of this book. Don Simpson, my friend as well as editor, encouraged me, helped me, and sometimes challenged my conclusions as we worked through these chapters together. Dr. J. I. Packer graciously agreed to review some of the key chapters to check their theological accuracy—though he should not be held responsible for the final results. Jessie Halsell performed the very necessary and challenging task of transforming my handwritten pages to a typed manuscript. A special word of appreciation must go to Grace Peterson, a “senior saint,” for her colaborship in prayer. Although a number of friends prayed for me during the eleven months of writing, Grace was always available when I sensed the need for that extra push of prayer to get over a difficult hurdle. Finally, I want to pay tribute to my first wife, Eleanor, now with the Lord, who herself experienced major adversity, even as I was writing this book, for her love and the sacrifices she made to allow me the time to study and write.