Is God Really in Control?: Trusting God in a World of Hurt

As with all books from Jerry Bridges, this book is also firmly rooted in the scriptures. Bridges masterfully confronts questions about God's goodness, His sovereignty, His wisdom, and our responsibility. But I want you to know that this book is derived from his earlier classic "Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts" (ISBN-10: 0891096175) which contains all the chapters in this book plus some more wonderful chapters adding up about 60 pages. So, if you are interested in studying this topic in more detail, I suggest you read the earlier book.

Dr. Bridges has once again ably addressed a needful topic on the soverignty of God. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

Jerry Bridges originally wrestled with these issues in his 1988 book, Trusting God. He continues to ask tough questions. How does what we believe about God fit in with our experiences of life in a fallen world that is filled with disappointments, pains, trials and even sometimes tragedies? How do we reconcile our understanding that the Bible teaches that God is good and that God is sovereign (in control of all things), when, as the old book title says, bad things happen to good people? Bridges is a man who has known sorrow, having lost his first wife to illness, and having suffered himself with many physical afflictions. Yet he also has spent a lifetime learning to know his God through the Scriptures and prayer. His books have been, for me, continuously helpful and Biblical in my own walk. One of the things I appreciate about all his writings, and this book in particular, is that he does not settle for easy or pat answers. He does not just say, "God's in control so cheer up!". He is especially helpful in discussing what it looks like to trust God in times of adversity. "Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us." (pp. 129). Each chapter ends with some discussion questions to think through the material from that chapter, which makes it a great book both for personal study and for small group usage. Bridges writes in a clear and understandable fashion and includes helpful illustrations for many of his points. "Our God is glorious, and in this book we've been looking at three features of that glory: His sovereignty, His wisdom, and His goodness. Because of these, we can trust Him. And if we are to honor Him in our times of adversity, we must trust Him. For there is more at stake than experiencing peace in the midst of difficulties or even deliverance from them. The honor of God should be our chief concern. So, our primary response to the trustworthiness of God should be, `I will trust God.'" (pp. 136). If you want answers to some of the hardest questions and situations we face, Bridges book will give you a framework and a basis to trust God through your circumstances, and not merely in spite of your circumstances. Check it out!

As far as I can tell, this is a reprint of his wonderful book, Trusting God. Quite a few years ago I was challenged to study the character of God. I started with his sovereignty and have never needed to move on. All His attributes are affected by this one.

Where is God when life is falling apart? From Job on, people have asked this question when their souls have been in anguish. Jerry Bridges supplies answers in Bridges writes for "the average person who has not necessarily experienced major catastrophe but who does frequently encounter the typical adversities and heartaches of life". (p. 11) Using Scripture and quoting other writers, many of them Puritan writers, Bridges grapples with the problem of understanding how a good God who is sovereign can allow, and sometimes initiate, suffering through humans, nature, and accidents. "(I)t often seems more difficult to trust God than to obey Him....The circumstances in which we must trust God often appear irrational and unreasonable....Obeying God is worked out within well-defined boundaries of God's revealed will. But trusting God is worked out in an arena that has no boundaries." (p.21) Bridges confronts questions about God's goodness, His sovereignty, His wisdom, and our responsibility. Then he goes beyond the questions to apply Scripture to our times of hurt and confusion, helping us to accept our hardships and to grow spiritually. His approach is very readable. He leans toward Calvinism in his acceptance of all things arising from the hand of God, and, though he does not excuse sin in human beings who bring us grief and pain, he suggests ways of dealing with our resentment, hurt, and anger against them. He promotes both recognizing God's sovereignty and our responsibility with a good discussion of prudence. Each chapter ends with discussion questions, making it easier to use in a group setting, as well as in private study. Jerry Bridges, a Bible teacher for the Navigators, has written several books, including the highly acclaimed The Pursuit of Holiness. Whether one fully agrees with him theologically, he addresses a thorny question thoughtfully, yet approachably. He offers much help in this short book. -- Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book Previews.com