Why Is God Ignoring Me? (Book Review)

We all go through difficult times.  Sometimes, though we cry out to God, it seems as though He isn't answering.  In Why Is God Ignoring Me? author Gary R. Habermas tells what the Bible has to say about suffering, then offers a practical plan for those in this situation.

In the first half of the book, Dr. Habermas points out the many ways in which God is active in our lives:  through answered prayers, healing, personal conviction of sin, spiritual gifts, and so on.  He lays out both the promises and the examples of suffering that we find in the Bible.  While some believers were saved from deadly circumstances--Daniel, Elijah, Noah and his family--many other godly saints were not delivered from their troubles.  Joseph, David, John the Baptist, the apostle Paul, and even Jesus all suffered greatly.  As Dr. Habermas writes, "If anyone deserved to be freed from suffering, it would be the Son of God Himself."  God does not promise that our lives will be trouble-free, but that He will be with us through our troubles.

In the second half of Why Is God Ignoring Me? Dr. Habermas covers conditional promises, spiritual disciplines, self-defeating behaviors, and, finally, trusting God even when it seems that our prayers are not being answered.

I found this book to be a quick read, yet it was comforting, encouraging, and--at times--challenging.  I would recommend it with one caveat:  In general, I agree with Dr. Habermas that "Regardless of outward circumstances, [*by the way we respond to those circumstances,] we are in control of the painful emotions that we experience."  However, for someone suffering through a chemical imbalance such as clinical depression, that charge may worsen those painful emotions.  For that reason, I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone in that circumstance.

Learn more about Why Is God Ignoring Me? and read the first chapter at the Tyndale product page.  Or pre-order it from Amazon.com, BooksChristian.com, or other book retailers.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book, at no cost to me, for review purposes.  Thanks to the Tyndale Blog Network for the opportunity.  This post contains affiliate links.

* Words in brackets are mine, added to provide a sense of the context of this statement.