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God's Grace in Your Suffering
Where Is God?
There are never quick fixes or easy answers when it comes to suffering. But even when we can’t immediately see God’s hand—when the struggle is hard and painful—he is working. Weaving together Scripture, personal stories, and the words of the classic hymn “How Firm a Foundation,” David Powlison brings an experienced counselor’s touch to exploring how God enters into our sufferings, helping us see God working in our own particular struggles—and discover how God’s grace goes deeper than we could ever imagine.
There are never quick fixes or easy answers when it comes to suffering. But even when we can’t immediately see God’s hand—when the struggle is hard and painful—he is working. Weaving together Scripture, personal stories, and the words of the classic hymn “How Firm a Foundation,” David Powlison brings an experienced counselor’s touch to exploring how God enters into our sufferings, helping us see God working in our own particular struggles—and discover how God’s grace goes deeper than we could ever imagine.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2018
About the author
David A. Powlison
131 books230 followersDavid Powlison, MDiv, PhD, (1949–2019) was a teacher, counselor, and the executive director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He wrote many books and minibooks, including Speaking Truth in Love, Seeing with New Eyes, Good and Angry, Making All Things New, God's Grace in Your Suffering, Safe and Sound, and Take Heart. David was also the editor of The Journal of Biblical Counseling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
May 12, 2020
Oh, my.
I wasn’t prepared for the cool and calming balm this would be to my soul. It’s been sitting on my to-be-read pile for months, and I providentially picked it up on the absolute perfect week for me to read such a book.
This book is for everyone, since we all see suffering in this life. Probably wouldn’t speak to a non-Christian, but if you’re a person of faith, struggling thru genuinely hard and unspeakable things, this book feels like your best friend taking your hand, and gently pointing you to truth in Jesus.
Read it. Read it everyone.
I wasn’t prepared for the cool and calming balm this would be to my soul. It’s been sitting on my to-be-read pile for months, and I providentially picked it up on the absolute perfect week for me to read such a book.
This book is for everyone, since we all see suffering in this life. Probably wouldn’t speak to a non-Christian, but if you’re a person of faith, struggling thru genuinely hard and unspeakable things, this book feels like your best friend taking your hand, and gently pointing you to truth in Jesus.
Read it. Read it everyone.
November 24, 2018
Short but encouraging treatise on suffering for Christians
If you are walking through hard times, as many of us are at any given time, this book is like having a friend hold your hand and walk beside you. It is a little book that will help us affirm,"It is good for me that I have been afflicted."
If you are walking through hard times, as many of us are at any given time, this book is like having a friend hold your hand and walk beside you. It is a little book that will help us affirm,"It is good for me that I have been afflicted."
January 11, 2026
Legitimately a life changing book. This tiny treatise on the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” is foundational to the Christian view of suffering. The introduction alone was worth the price of admission.
David Powlison’s writing is clear, logical, biblical, careful, interesting, and sympathetic. I only wish he was here to write more books, but what a joy to know he is with the Lord, and will never experience suffering again. We, who know Christ, would do well to heed his words and view our own suffering through the lens of scripture, which gives us sanity and clarity to understand truth.
I also appreciated his chapter on dying/aging, two things that are terrifying to imagine sometimes, but his handling of the topics was so encouraging.
Format: physical. Essential for note taking and underlining. The book is intended to be a personal journaling experience
David Powlison’s writing is clear, logical, biblical, careful, interesting, and sympathetic. I only wish he was here to write more books, but what a joy to know he is with the Lord, and will never experience suffering again. We, who know Christ, would do well to heed his words and view our own suffering through the lens of scripture, which gives us sanity and clarity to understand truth.
I also appreciated his chapter on dying/aging, two things that are terrifying to imagine sometimes, but his handling of the topics was so encouraging.
Format: physical. Essential for note taking and underlining. The book is intended to be a personal journaling experience
March 21, 2022
Great book! I’ll definitely come back to this later!
February 7, 2022
Powlison's writing style is clear and precise, and rich in wisdom and Scripture. To finish the book has felt like a long, slow exhale. Its sad that my time in this book is over, but it has equipped me with some incredible truths.
Read it.
You wont look at suffering the same way ever again.
Read it.
You wont look at suffering the same way ever again.
July 1, 2023
So sad this book is already over. Absolutely loved it. So helpful and comforting. Really helps you have the right biblical perspective during suffering and I will never look at and sing the hymn “How Firm A Foundation” ever the same 🙏🏻🥹
January 20, 2026
Wonderful. It’s everything I love about Powlison—practical, pastoral, personal. Structured around How Firm a Foundation.
September 23, 2018
Balm for the Soul
This is a word of healing, a word of encouragement, and a word of hope to those of us who are suffering in this fallen world (and that is all of us). I can not recommend this book higher and I would run out of superlatives trying to express my admiration for this book. I encourage you to read it. It will minister to your heart and mind.
This is a word of healing, a word of encouragement, and a word of hope to those of us who are suffering in this fallen world (and that is all of us). I can not recommend this book higher and I would run out of superlatives trying to express my admiration for this book. I encourage you to read it. It will minister to your heart and mind.
November 30, 2024
A wonderful read on God’s special grace in seasons of suffering. Powlison has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
January 13, 2026
I listened to this book but would highly recommend reading a printed copy to underline and answer the thoughtful questions. I will be reading again.
June 28, 2019
“We learn how to have a quiet time. We discover our spiritual gifts. We study good doctrine. We learn how to study the Bible and memorize scripture. These are all good things. But we don’t necessarily learn how to need help... God uses significant suffering to teach us to need him. And when we need him, we find him.”
This paragraph summarizes the book well. It gives practicals on how to go through suffering and how to help others go through suffering.
Powlison gives personal insight and wisdom on how one should prepare and handle suffering. I highly recommend this this book!
This paragraph summarizes the book well. It gives practicals on how to go through suffering and how to help others go through suffering.
Powlison gives personal insight and wisdom on how one should prepare and handle suffering. I highly recommend this this book!
December 29, 2021
David Powlison is such a great writer and biblical counselor. He writes in a manner that explains the concept clearly, relates to the reader, makes the reader examine their heart, and leaves the reader knowing how to live a more holy life. He is by far my favorite author for counseling books.
July 27, 2025
I can’t quite put my finger on it but this book did not resonate with me. There were nuggets of wisdom in it I enjoyed but the rest felt slow. Everyone else in my Bible study loved it so I seem to be the problem.🤷♀️
March 28, 2024
I read this book over several weeks with two older men in my church. Both of them have stories of significant suffering. One of them is suffering from Parkinson’s now and the other lost his spouse after a prolonged debilitating sickness. Powlison’s book was the perfect read because the chapters are short, the sentences are short, clear, and concrete, and the author’s tone is deeply pastoral. The book allowed for three men in different stages of life and different experiences of suffering to come together and retell the great mercies of God in Christ.
March 10, 2020
One of the best lines of the book comes in the epilogue (why is that not all too infrequent an occurrence?). Here's what Powlison says:
"Finally, you are prepared to pose--and to mean--an almost unimaginable question: 'Why not me? Why not this? Why not now?'...If your suffering shows forth the Savior of the world, why not me? If you have the privilege of filling up the sufferings of Christ?...If your weakness demonstrates the power of God to save us from all that is wrong?...If your life becomes a source of hope for others? Why not me?"
"Finally, you are prepared to pose--and to mean--an almost unimaginable question: 'Why not me? Why not this? Why not now?'...If your suffering shows forth the Savior of the world, why not me? If you have the privilege of filling up the sufferings of Christ?...If your weakness demonstrates the power of God to save us from all that is wrong?...If your life becomes a source of hope for others? Why not me?"
November 16, 2025
One of the best books on suffering I’ve read.
What a comfort to know that our Lord and Saviour has walked this road before us and has overcome the final enemy—death.
Instead of asking. ‘Why me?’, we should…”be prepared to pose-and to mean—an almost unimaginable question: "Why not me? Why not this? Why not now?" If in some way, your faith might serve as a three-watt night light in a very dark world, why not me? If your suffering shows forth the Savior of the world, why not me?”
What a comfort to know that our Lord and Saviour has walked this road before us and has overcome the final enemy—death.
Instead of asking. ‘Why me?’, we should…”be prepared to pose-and to mean—an almost unimaginable question: "Why not me? Why not this? Why not now?" If in some way, your faith might serve as a three-watt night light in a very dark world, why not me? If your suffering shows forth the Savior of the world, why not me?”
February 23, 2022
Being a visual learner in many ways, I would have savored even more the many helpful things Powlison said in this book if I had been holding a physical copy in my hands. As it was, the audiobook was still very insightful and encouraging. I like the creative way he arranged his content in keeping with the verses of the hymn "How Firm a Foundation". He brought out so many passages of Scripture and honest examples from his own life to express God's gracious care for us in our suffering. Lots of comforting truth here for my own heart and to share with others.
August 19, 2024
Very, very good book. David goes into various forms of suffering and points out how God gives grace in and through it. He points to God’s sovereignty but not in a cold or distant way, but that God’s sovereignty is with you, guiding you, holding and loving you through your suffering. Very good book.
June 29, 2020
Important. Foundational. I want to make everyone read this
July 14, 2020
Practical, psalm-hope-drenched. I always want a guided path in flounderingly hard times and this was exactly that, with endless compassion.
December 11, 2024
This has to be Powlison’s best book.
January 10, 2025
“Hardships give us good reasons to be anxious, so God gives better reasons to trust him.”
Powlison’s tenderness drips off the page, redirecting our eyes to Christ, whom we are being conformed to through every trial.
“God willingly keeps talking. His sheep hear his voice, even in the valley of the shadow of death. Are you listening?”
Powlison’s tenderness drips off the page, redirecting our eyes to Christ, whom we are being conformed to through every trial.
“God willingly keeps talking. His sheep hear his voice, even in the valley of the shadow of death. Are you listening?”
February 5, 2025
Further solidifying Powlison’s spot as my favorite Christian author
May 20, 2025
This is one of the way things I’ve read in a while. What a poignant reminder of God’s character amidst our affliction. He does not forsake us. He brings to completion all the He begins in us. He is unfathomably rich in mercy!! What a gift! And what a convicting truth that we are so deeply in need of mercy and restoration.
Would recommend this to any and everyone. It switches the perspective of suffering from one of angst to one of rejoicing.
It’s only 117 pages, so it’s a quick read as well.
Would recommend this to any and everyone. It switches the perspective of suffering from one of angst to one of rejoicing.
It’s only 117 pages, so it’s a quick read as well.
May 2, 2020
This small book (100ish pages) is a real gem. It has much to offer fellow sufferers alongside better known volumes like ones by Tripp and Keller. Highly recommended!
April 17, 2026
Praise the Lord! He has not left us in our sufferings.
September 28, 2024
This book is so good. If you are a Christian who has, is or might face hardship - read it!!
April 24, 2026
This was a good read - it focused on God’s presence in suffering, even if it’s not shown immediately. It gave a break down of different types of suffering, (I.e. physical, mental) and perspective points on how God’s grace is always deeper than we think.
March 29, 2024
This is such a good book! David takes the Hymn “How Firm a Foundation” and uses it to show God’s grace to us in our suffering. This book helped me to remember that God isn’t blind to my suffering and that he will not forsake me, his child amidst suffering. Some of my fav quotes were:
“Profound good in our lives, often emerges in a crucible of significant suffering. Jesus himself “learned obedience, through what he suffered.” Faith and love shine most clearly, simply, and courageously in a dark place.” P. 20
“‘I am with you’ is also a reality that we embody with each other. Though the presence of a brother or sister in Christ does not replace God, the nearness of another believer is a very significant means of God’s grace. Christ’s grace is embodied— in each other. Other people are part of the comfort God brings to us in affliction.” P. 52
“He designs your significant suffering for three reasons. He is revealing his abiding generosity toward you. He is removing all that is ungenerous in you. He is making you abidingly generous.” P. 77
“Endurance is purposeful ‘abiding under’ what is hard and painful, and considering others even when you don’t feel good.” P. 82
“Profound good in our lives, often emerges in a crucible of significant suffering. Jesus himself “learned obedience, through what he suffered.” Faith and love shine most clearly, simply, and courageously in a dark place.” P. 20
“‘I am with you’ is also a reality that we embody with each other. Though the presence of a brother or sister in Christ does not replace God, the nearness of another believer is a very significant means of God’s grace. Christ’s grace is embodied— in each other. Other people are part of the comfort God brings to us in affliction.” P. 52
“He designs your significant suffering for three reasons. He is revealing his abiding generosity toward you. He is removing all that is ungenerous in you. He is making you abidingly generous.” P. 77
“Endurance is purposeful ‘abiding under’ what is hard and painful, and considering others even when you don’t feel good.” P. 82
January 1, 2020
There is probably no one I trust more than David Powlison on the topics of suffering and sanctification. This is one of those (very rare) must-read books. Every Christian will suffer; Powlison will help you, by God’s grace, to suffer well, and with hope. Also read in March 2018.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews