Book Description: Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.
In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?
These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.
In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.
Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.
As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.
My Review: If God Is Good is the latest book from Randy Alcorn's who is probably best-
known for his last major release, Heaven, which has sold well over a half million
copies in hardcover. This is not a small book for light reading . . . If God Is Good,
like Heaven before it is a grand book. Weighing in at 512 pages, this is large hardcover
that offers a thorough examination and defense of faith in the midst of suffering and
evil. With SO much suffering and evil in the world this seems to be a fair question,
"If God is good , why?" This is not an easy topic to write about but definitely a
topic that many people seem to need in this day and age.
known for his last major release, Heaven, which has sold well over a half million
copies in hardcover. This is not a small book for light reading . . . If God Is Good,
like Heaven before it is a grand book. Weighing in at 512 pages, this is large hardcover
that offers a thorough examination and defense of faith in the midst of suffering and
evil. With SO much suffering and evil in the world this seems to be a fair question,
"If God is good , why?" This is not an easy topic to write about but definitely a
topic that many people seem to need in this day and age.
The topic Alcorn deals with in this book is a particularly difficult one.
Humility and practicality, trademarks of his ministry, are evident in the
books earliest pages. "If I thought I had no helpful perspectives on
the problem, it would be pointless for me to write this book. If I imagined I
had all the answers neatly lined up, it would be pointless for you to read it."
He gets to the root of the question in the earliest pages of this read. The question
of suffering? He covers this subject well with interjections from the Greatest
Book of all! Using the Bible as a sounding board that presents yet defends a christian's
viewpoint of suffering that does make one to realize that all suffering is not the result
of God not being interested in His child's life!
Humility and practicality, trademarks of his ministry, are evident in the
books earliest pages. "If I thought I had no helpful perspectives on
the problem, it would be pointless for me to write this book. If I imagined I
had all the answers neatly lined up, it would be pointless for you to read it."
He gets to the root of the question in the earliest pages of this read. The question
of suffering? He covers this subject well with interjections from the Greatest
Book of all! Using the Bible as a sounding board that presents yet defends a christian's
viewpoint of suffering that does make one to realize that all suffering is not the result
of God not being interested in His child's life!
If God Is Good has bold headings that are followed by the explanation of said heading.
This seems to a unique and interesting format of Alcorn's writing. The headings are
vital to the whole reading of the book and cannot/should not be skipped. Trying to
randomly open the book and then "get into the flow" of reading just.will.not.work
with this read. One must read the heading and then read the flowing expose
that follows. For example, On page 201 it reads, "One paragraph into chapter 1
on the New Earth will make up for eighty hard "chapters" on Earth; but even
if it took another eighty to compensate, the joys would have only just begun."
As you can see this makes absolutely no sense unless you have read the
entire chapter not skipping the headings and expose.
This seems to a unique and interesting format of Alcorn's writing. The headings are
vital to the whole reading of the book and cannot/should not be skipped. Trying to
randomly open the book and then "get into the flow" of reading just.will.not.work
with this read. One must read the heading and then read the flowing expose
that follows. For example, On page 201 it reads, "One paragraph into chapter 1
on the New Earth will make up for eighty hard "chapters" on Earth; but even
if it took another eighty to compensate, the joys would have only just begun."
As you can see this makes absolutely no sense unless you have read the
entire chapter not skipping the headings and expose.
Alocrn interlaces grace with gentleness in this wonderful read! At times he presents
the facts with a hardness that grips the heart and then he presents the world of suffering
with the gentleness of a mother caring for her child's scraped knee.
This is not over.the.head.theology but this is like a pastor talking to his sheep.
A caring we-must-face-the-challenge type of voice.
the facts with a hardness that grips the heart and then he presents the world of suffering
with the gentleness of a mother caring for her child's scraped knee.
This is not over.the.head.theology but this is like a pastor talking to his sheep.
A caring we-must-face-the-challenge type of voice.
I loved this quote where he says, "We shouldn't wait until suffering comes to start learning about how to face it any more than we should wait to fall into the water to start learning how to scuba dive." Are you suffering? Then Alcorn says to you, "Our present sufferings are a brief but important part of a larger plan that one day will prove them all worthwhile." So many truths and yet not a preachy read but a read that allows the "sufferee" to see that God is rooting for you. He wants you to come out as fine gold!
This is a 5 star faith-raising read whether you're suffering or whether you may be helping someone who is going through a hard time! Don't allow life's circumstances to get.you.down! Allow God to bring GOOD out of your suffering and allow Him to make all good out of the evil.
*I received a free copy of this book to review from Waterbrook/Multnomah*
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