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Where is God When It Hurts? / Disappointment with God
In this special, two-in-one edition, award-winning author Philip Yancey explores difficult questions about our relationship with God. In Where Is God When It Hurts?, he speaks to everyone who wonders if God cares that they are suffering, why he allows us to suffer, and why life sometimes just doesn't make sense. Yancey also equips those who want to reach out to someone in pain, but don't know what to say.In Disappointment with God, Yancey addresses the questions that many of us struggle with including "Is God fair?" "Is God slient?" and "What can we expect from God?" In both books, he gives a clear and compelling biblical perspective -- a perspective of compassion and insight that leads to healing.
520 pages, Hardcover
About the author
Philip Yancey
263 books2,244 followersA native of Atlanta, Georgia, Philip Yancey earned graduate degrees in Communications and English from Wheaton College Graduate School and the University of Chicago. He joined the staff of Campus Life Magazine in 1971, and worked there as Editor and then Publisher. He looks on those years with gratitude, because teenagers are demanding readers, and writing for them taught him a lasting principle: The reader is in control!
In 1978 Philip Yancey became a full-time writer, initially working as a journalist for such varied publications as Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, National Wildlife, Christian Century and The Reformed Journal. For several years he contributed a monthly column to Christianity Today magazine, where he also served as Editor at Large.
In 2021 Philip released two new books: A Companion in Crisis and his long-awaited memoir, Where the Light Fell. Other favorites included in his more than twenty-five titles are: Where Is God When It Hurts, The Student Bible, and Disappointment with God. Philip's books have won thirteen Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, have sold more than seventeen million copies, and have been published in over 50 languages. Christian bookstore managers selected The Jesus I Never Knew as the 1996 Book of the Year, and in 1998 What’s So Amazing About Grace? won the same award. His other recent books are Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image; Vanishing Grace: Bringing Good News to a Deeply Divided World; The Question that Never Goes Away; What Good Is God?; Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?; Soul Survivor; and Reaching for the Invisible God. In 2009 a daily reader was published, compiled from excerpts of his work: Grace Notes.
The Yanceys lived in downtown Chicago for many years before moving to a very different environment in Colorado. Together they enjoy mountain climbing, skiing, hiking, and all the other delights of the Rocky Mountains.
Visit Philip online:
https://www.philipyancey.com
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipYancey
Catch his monthly blog:
https://bit.ly/PhilipYanceyBlog
In 1978 Philip Yancey became a full-time writer, initially working as a journalist for such varied publications as Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, National Wildlife, Christian Century and The Reformed Journal. For several years he contributed a monthly column to Christianity Today magazine, where he also served as Editor at Large.
In 2021 Philip released two new books: A Companion in Crisis and his long-awaited memoir, Where the Light Fell. Other favorites included in his more than twenty-five titles are: Where Is God When It Hurts, The Student Bible, and Disappointment with God. Philip's books have won thirteen Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, have sold more than seventeen million copies, and have been published in over 50 languages. Christian bookstore managers selected The Jesus I Never Knew as the 1996 Book of the Year, and in 1998 What’s So Amazing About Grace? won the same award. His other recent books are Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image; Vanishing Grace: Bringing Good News to a Deeply Divided World; The Question that Never Goes Away; What Good Is God?; Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?; Soul Survivor; and Reaching for the Invisible God. In 2009 a daily reader was published, compiled from excerpts of his work: Grace Notes.
The Yanceys lived in downtown Chicago for many years before moving to a very different environment in Colorado. Together they enjoy mountain climbing, skiing, hiking, and all the other delights of the Rocky Mountains.
Visit Philip online:
https://www.philipyancey.com
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipYancey
Catch his monthly blog:
https://bit.ly/PhilipYanceyBlog
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 13, 2016
This book deals with an issue that all of us think about but are afraid to voice. If God is really who he says he is and is in control of all things then ultimately God is responsible for all my trials and troubles. I have no one intermediary to blame only God. It is not my wife’s fault she is only God’s tool in “punishing” me.
It really deals even in the preface with what we expect of God in our relationship with him.
On page 9 it also states the grounds we work under where we never see God or hear or touch him. What kind of a relationship is this? Not one like I have ever had before.
This book lays out the situation we are under quite well. We have unexpected problems many of them quite extreme and severe and we wonder if God is there at all. Does he see? Does he hear my cries for mercy and help? Where was he when I prayed that my sister would not die?
Note the statement on page 33 – in an accident “if God gets credit for the survivors the he should get credit for the casualties.” How are we going to deal with this truth? Or are we going to try to hide from it and then ultimately get bitter?
This leads to Yancey’s three main questions of the book:
1. Is God fair? Why don’t bad things happen to bad people and good to those who are good?
2. Is God silent?
3. Is God hidden?
Note on page 57 middle Yancey gets to one of his answers to these tough questions. When we judge how God handles us and situations “we focus on the human point of view”.
Note on page 69 you get the feeling the bible and history is a big story meant to interest us and to explain God to us.
Act 1 – the fall of man and evil enters
Act 2 – God punishes and protects creation
Act 3 – God destroys almost everything he has made
Act 4 – God has a new plan, Abraham and to make a great nation
Note on page 70 Abraham like us had long years of silence.
Note on page 71 at the top Yancey makes the statement that the best response of the human race is with faith – which is believing when there is not physical reason to believe. Like when Abraham believed even though he and his wife were too old to have a son.
On page 72 Yancey makes statement that “Joseph learned through trust: not that God would prevent hardship, but that that he would redeem even the hardship.”
What about the statement on page 75 bottom about “Love complicates the life of God as it complicates every life.”
Yancey on page 78 lists some of the disadvantages of being in the physical presence of God:
No personal freedom – “the Israelites found it nearly impossible to live with a holy God in their midst.”
Note at the top of 79 the way humans react to a holy God – We will die we cannot stand or want to be close to him. Is this a sign that Sin and God cannot exist side by side?
In chapter 9 we turn not to the desert experience but to God giving his people all they can wish for. A king, a holy city with a temple for his presence. A bombing economy and a wise king beyond compare. Do they thank and worship him as they should? No! This is a lesson for us – weather in times of famine and pain or in good times we forsake our God. This is the human story and tragedy
Chap 13 is a brilliant chapter for us to ponder how does a king approach one he longs to love but no for what he can give or out of fear but out of true love and respect as equals? This is the dilemma for God. How can he woo us without power or money etc.??
So he descends and then we cannot recognize him and we miss him because we do not expect him. This is truly what makes Christianity different unique is that God entered into the flesh and we did not believe it. No human being would ever make this up as a story as it is utter foolishness to us.
In chapter 14 we see now God’s side and how he has tried to answer his critics of being silent, of being hidden and being unfair. He is doing all he can to communicate with a fallen flawed human race. Jesus is the key to knowing God as he really is. God to be sure but one who loves a lowly made who is not due his love or respect. The bride is no queen.
This reminds me of the story of a parent who so much wants his children to love him or her but not for outward reasons. Not because of what he or she can give them. Not so the child can miss out on punishment but truly out of return love. What parent wants his children to obey out of duty or to miss pain? No what we want is obedience out of love and respect. This is the story of the prodigal sons. Both sons disobeyed their father one outwardly and one in secret.
God could have created a forced subjection of his people and no one would have sinned. But this would not have given us true love and we would never have been sure he truly loved us for no reason within us.
We see in Chapter 18 on transfer the discussion of the counselor and the book has taken us stealthy through the trinity in its view of God.
Chapter 26 points out 2 kinds of faith:
1. Child like faith that is quite blind to all problems and believes cf. (Psa 23)
2. Abraham like faith that holds on no matter what. This is the faith of Joseph and Moses in long times of silence from God. Cf. (Psa. 22)
Chapter 27 is simply brilliant! This concept or reality as it were of transposition is an eye opener. God is working out his will and thoughts through his Head, his son to us his body, the church. This analogy makes perfect sense of what must happen when spiritual and physical meet. And they met most pointedly in Christ.
Chapter 30 is brilliant. On page 286 at the top we get the real answer to the atheist that even though they have killed God they still long for a world where he sets all things right. Why do they or we even know what right is? We cannot live with God but we also cannot live without him.
It really deals even in the preface with what we expect of God in our relationship with him.
On page 9 it also states the grounds we work under where we never see God or hear or touch him. What kind of a relationship is this? Not one like I have ever had before.
This book lays out the situation we are under quite well. We have unexpected problems many of them quite extreme and severe and we wonder if God is there at all. Does he see? Does he hear my cries for mercy and help? Where was he when I prayed that my sister would not die?
Note the statement on page 33 – in an accident “if God gets credit for the survivors the he should get credit for the casualties.” How are we going to deal with this truth? Or are we going to try to hide from it and then ultimately get bitter?
This leads to Yancey’s three main questions of the book:
1. Is God fair? Why don’t bad things happen to bad people and good to those who are good?
2. Is God silent?
3. Is God hidden?
Note on page 57 middle Yancey gets to one of his answers to these tough questions. When we judge how God handles us and situations “we focus on the human point of view”.
Note on page 69 you get the feeling the bible and history is a big story meant to interest us and to explain God to us.
Act 1 – the fall of man and evil enters
Act 2 – God punishes and protects creation
Act 3 – God destroys almost everything he has made
Act 4 – God has a new plan, Abraham and to make a great nation
Note on page 70 Abraham like us had long years of silence.
Note on page 71 at the top Yancey makes the statement that the best response of the human race is with faith – which is believing when there is not physical reason to believe. Like when Abraham believed even though he and his wife were too old to have a son.
On page 72 Yancey makes statement that “Joseph learned through trust: not that God would prevent hardship, but that that he would redeem even the hardship.”
What about the statement on page 75 bottom about “Love complicates the life of God as it complicates every life.”
Yancey on page 78 lists some of the disadvantages of being in the physical presence of God:
No personal freedom – “the Israelites found it nearly impossible to live with a holy God in their midst.”
Note at the top of 79 the way humans react to a holy God – We will die we cannot stand or want to be close to him. Is this a sign that Sin and God cannot exist side by side?
In chapter 9 we turn not to the desert experience but to God giving his people all they can wish for. A king, a holy city with a temple for his presence. A bombing economy and a wise king beyond compare. Do they thank and worship him as they should? No! This is a lesson for us – weather in times of famine and pain or in good times we forsake our God. This is the human story and tragedy
Chap 13 is a brilliant chapter for us to ponder how does a king approach one he longs to love but no for what he can give or out of fear but out of true love and respect as equals? This is the dilemma for God. How can he woo us without power or money etc.??
So he descends and then we cannot recognize him and we miss him because we do not expect him. This is truly what makes Christianity different unique is that God entered into the flesh and we did not believe it. No human being would ever make this up as a story as it is utter foolishness to us.
In chapter 14 we see now God’s side and how he has tried to answer his critics of being silent, of being hidden and being unfair. He is doing all he can to communicate with a fallen flawed human race. Jesus is the key to knowing God as he really is. God to be sure but one who loves a lowly made who is not due his love or respect. The bride is no queen.
This reminds me of the story of a parent who so much wants his children to love him or her but not for outward reasons. Not because of what he or she can give them. Not so the child can miss out on punishment but truly out of return love. What parent wants his children to obey out of duty or to miss pain? No what we want is obedience out of love and respect. This is the story of the prodigal sons. Both sons disobeyed their father one outwardly and one in secret.
God could have created a forced subjection of his people and no one would have sinned. But this would not have given us true love and we would never have been sure he truly loved us for no reason within us.
We see in Chapter 18 on transfer the discussion of the counselor and the book has taken us stealthy through the trinity in its view of God.
Chapter 26 points out 2 kinds of faith:
1. Child like faith that is quite blind to all problems and believes cf. (Psa 23)
2. Abraham like faith that holds on no matter what. This is the faith of Joseph and Moses in long times of silence from God. Cf. (Psa. 22)
Chapter 27 is simply brilliant! This concept or reality as it were of transposition is an eye opener. God is working out his will and thoughts through his Head, his son to us his body, the church. This analogy makes perfect sense of what must happen when spiritual and physical meet. And they met most pointedly in Christ.
Chapter 30 is brilliant. On page 286 at the top we get the real answer to the atheist that even though they have killed God they still long for a world where he sets all things right. Why do they or we even know what right is? We cannot live with God but we also cannot live without him.
June 27, 2013
As someone who has had chronic pain for over twenty years, these books have helped me considerably. I had read them early on in the pain, but now that all this time has passed, I was faltering in my faith in God. I had begun to hear more and more often from people I know that God means for me to be healed. This sent me into a great deal of soul searching: why wasn't I healed? And that led me to become very angry at God. Philip Yancey writes in such a way that feeds my soul as he walked through the questions and dilemma of being a person of faith and continuing with a health problem or other problem in life that isn't going to be resolved. These aren't formula books with 10 points to the conclusion. These books allows you to search your heart and reach a conclusion. I couldn't recommend it more highly.
April 11, 2016
This turned out to be a very encouraging book despite the title. Yancey works through three difficult questions: Is God unfair? Is God hidden? Is God silent? He shares some poignant and heart-breaking stories about some of the difficult situations that people have faced and their struggles when it seems as though God doesn 19t care of that He is far away.
Read
September 4, 2007Buku yang hebat, membuka wawasan kita dengan berpikir dari sudut pandang yang berbeda.
Want to read
August 31, 2011soon
March 6, 2013
It was an easy to understand explanation of stuff that don't make sense in this life.
October 23, 2007
I have learned so much from this book and greatly recommend this to book to you all!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews