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Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow
In this paradigm-shifting book, Nancy Guthrie gently invites readers to lean in along with her to hear Jesus speak understanding and insight into the lingering questions we all have about the hurts of What was God’s involvement in this, and why did he let it happen? Why hasn’t God answered my prayers for a miracle? Can I expect God to protect me? Does God even care? According to Nancy, this questioning is not a bad thing at all but instead an opportunity. It’s a chance to hear with fresh ears the truth in the promises of the gospel we may have misapplied. It lets us retune our souls to the purposes of God we may have misunderstood.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2009
72 people are currently reading
423 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Guthrie
80 books565 followersNancy Guthrie teaches the Bible at her home church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as at conferences around the country and internationally, including through her Biblical Theology Workshops for Women. She is the author of numerous books and the host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast at The Gospel Coalition. She and her husband host Respite Retreats for couples who have faced the death of child and are co-hosts of the GriefShare video series.
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December 9, 2025
I read this book with both my mentor and my sister-in-law three months after we unexpectedly lost my 25-year-old brother (her husband). I started it with my guard up, assuming it would offer a Pollyanna Christianity - an overly-sunny, unbiblical view that talks only about God’s love and goodness while ignoring His wrath, sorrow, and sovereignty over the darkness in this world (darkness that sometimes feels like he doesn’t do anything about).
I expected another retelling of Jesus weeping for a friend of his that died, a story I already knew and frankly couldn’t relate to, because Jesus got His friend back. I came to this book worn out from reading story after story in the gospels of Jesus healing others after choosing not to heal my brother.
But this book far surpassed my expectations. It spoke to the raw, heavy, lonely, and dark realities of grief and showed me a God who mourns alongside me. It didn’t sugarcoat anything or offer cliché “trials make you stronger” answers. Instead, it revealed the consuming agony Jesus endured on earth: the immense betrayal from friends in times he needed them most, the abandonment Jesus felt as God told him “no” to his desperate pleads of intervention, and the overwhelming sorrow he had to carry as he anticipated all of Gods wrath being poured onto him
This book was thought provoking. It asked uncomfortable questions that led me to go down theological rabbit holes of my beliefs, seeking answers alongside trusted mentors. This book pushed me toward the Holy Spirit’s nearness, empathy, and healing in a world full of quick, unsustainable fixes.
I expected another retelling of Jesus weeping for a friend of his that died, a story I already knew and frankly couldn’t relate to, because Jesus got His friend back. I came to this book worn out from reading story after story in the gospels of Jesus healing others after choosing not to heal my brother.
But this book far surpassed my expectations. It spoke to the raw, heavy, lonely, and dark realities of grief and showed me a God who mourns alongside me. It didn’t sugarcoat anything or offer cliché “trials make you stronger” answers. Instead, it revealed the consuming agony Jesus endured on earth: the immense betrayal from friends in times he needed them most, the abandonment Jesus felt as God told him “no” to his desperate pleads of intervention, and the overwhelming sorrow he had to carry as he anticipated all of Gods wrath being poured onto him
This book was thought provoking. It asked uncomfortable questions that led me to go down theological rabbit holes of my beliefs, seeking answers alongside trusted mentors. This book pushed me toward the Holy Spirit’s nearness, empathy, and healing in a world full of quick, unsustainable fixes.
January 16, 2013
I could not read this as other books, namely an academic review of a book in which I read as many chapters as possible in a short time. Rather, because the topic was so personal and emotional, I found that one chapter at a sitting was more than enough for me. My reflections, memories, and eventual praises meant that this was more than an academic exercise, it was life, difficult life. Thanks to Nancy Guthrie for writing what needs to be stated and doing so from one who has been there, even more, from one who has grown through the sorrow to a maturity that is hard to articulate, but which Guthrie has captured in this book.
Nancy Guthrie wrote “Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow” in light of her experiences regarding the deaths of two of her children. Her style is direct but sensitive, especially when relating some experiences with other Christians that could have produced writing that reflects resentment or anger toward those people. She skillfully avoids that pitfall and shows that God has indeed been working in and through her since all of the tragedies occurred. That takes time for anyone writing or speaking about personal sorrow.
I realized what a difficult task this would be for me in evaluating the book. First, Guthrie has experienced deep sorrow, two-fold. Any kind of comment regarding a specific point in this review may be seen by some as diminishing that truth. Such is not the intent, because having experienced my own extended time of sorrow, I readily identify with what she writes. At times I was back reliving my own experiences in 1978-2008, nodding my head, even dealing with tears at times, but also having heard Jesus speak into my own sorrow. What a tribute to the author that she could effectively communicate in such a way to bring alongside those who have also suffered. I think that in itself is highest praise for her work.
Second, as a Lutheran pastor/theologian, I look at the underlying theology and see what is behind the content. Thus, I am attuned to differences in theological expressions. For instance, I expected the author’s approach to be based on “decision theology.” From a Lutheran perspective this would be a negative, because typically such theology takes away from Christ and what he has done, which affects not only “coming to faith” but also how Jesus is viewed relative to our lives after that time. In other words, “Jesus becomes a model for us to follow,” which can be defeatist for the Christian, especially for the one in sorrow. How many can follow Christ perfectly? Rather than a relief, this becomes an impossible burden.
Significantly, while the author occasionally reflects such an approach, the overall thrust of the book is that she clings to that which is truly gospel, namely what Christ has done for us. For that I rejoice! Guthrie clearly articulates the gospel at strategic points in the book. For instance, in the Introduction, her pastor’s question at the graveside was right on target: “This is the place where we ask, ‘Is the gospel really true?’” (p. xiv). As she relates, the question reflected her own desperation and discovery, readily identifying with the hope that Peter expressed in John 6, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” She writes: “Not having that hope to hold on to would have been an unbearable agony. I also knew that Jesus provided my only hope for coming back to life myself, as I felt the life in me was being snuffed out by sorrow” (p. xv). In her invitation to read Jesus’ words anew, she notes, “There is life, power, and authority in his every word. He speaks life into death, hope into despair, truth into delusion, meaning into futility, peace into panic” (pp. xix-xx).
Likewise in Chapter 1, “I, Too, Have Known Overwhelming Sorrow” Guthrie reflects this tension. “So many of the other ways I had heard Jesus speaking to me … were mostly about listening for what he could do for me. But in this hard place of grief, hearing Jesus was less about what he could do for me and more about the companionship he could share with me” (p. 3). She continues, “It’s in our suffering that we can truly begin to identify with his” (p. 4). Here I might quibble about the wording, but she comes back to the essential truth: Jesus for us, expressed in many different ways, is above all else.
The author also faced the seemingly impossible tension between God’s sovereignty and God’s grace. “I wondered how God could be truly sad with me since it had been in his power to cause things to work out differently. I think this is the wall that those of us who believe in God’s sovereignty run into eventually. And when we feel its full force, it hurts” (p. 12). I can certainly identify with that seeming indifference to my plight. Significantly, Guthrie comes to right junction, the intersection between the infinite, wise God and his plans and our own ideas about what is best can only be resolved in the cross of Jesus Christ. She continues, “It is at this place of inner conflict — where what we want and believe would be best seems to be at cross-purposes with the plans of God — where we need to hear Jesus speak” (p. 12). I have to think that she intended the double meaning of “cross-purposes” in this context.
Chapters 3 and 4 provide the clear expression of the Gospel because she recognizes the real problem. Prayers for healing become a double-edged sword, which she addresses head-on. “Those of us who do not get the physical healing we prayed for can be left assuming that either our faith is deficient or God is unable or unwilling to heal us or the one we love” (p. 24). The key to an appropriate response to this situation comes later in chapter 3, under the subtitle, “Jesus Speaks to Our Most Significant Sickness.” She writes, “Jesus comes to get to the real root of our problem, the cause of all our suffering and sorrow. He came on a mission to destroy what has brought on all our misery: sin” (p. 33). What follows on pages 35-38 should be mandatory reading for pastors, grief counselors, and every Christian, as summarized at the end of chapter 3,
“Perhaps what we need is not a miraculous healing of our bodies but a powerful awareness of our sin-sickness. We need to see our sin for the certain death it delivers — not just to our mortal bodies, but to our eternal souls. Only then can we appreciate the miracle Jesus offers us when he heals us of this fatal disease of sin.” (P. 38)
At the end of each chapter, Guthrie provides a unique way to express the key thoughts of the chapter with a short section titled “Hear Jesus Speak.” She takes several Biblical passages then makes them first-person narrative as Jesus speaking personally to the reader. She also provides a list of the Biblical passages used to develop this section. Not only is this effective as a summary, but it highlights the “Jesus to me; Jesus for me” truth of the entire book.
This will prove very beneficial to many people experiencing suffering/sorrow/tribulation. For the one experiencing any of this, Nancy Guthrie invites you to walk together to better understand this God who calls us to faith and brings us through the trials. The book is well written, direct, sensitive, Biblically solid, and offers a refreshing approach to a difficult topic. For pastors, this is an ideal companion to Richard Eyer’s book,“ Pastoral Care Under the Cross.”
Thank you, Nancy, for this important book.
Nancy Guthrie wrote “Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow” in light of her experiences regarding the deaths of two of her children. Her style is direct but sensitive, especially when relating some experiences with other Christians that could have produced writing that reflects resentment or anger toward those people. She skillfully avoids that pitfall and shows that God has indeed been working in and through her since all of the tragedies occurred. That takes time for anyone writing or speaking about personal sorrow.
I realized what a difficult task this would be for me in evaluating the book. First, Guthrie has experienced deep sorrow, two-fold. Any kind of comment regarding a specific point in this review may be seen by some as diminishing that truth. Such is not the intent, because having experienced my own extended time of sorrow, I readily identify with what she writes. At times I was back reliving my own experiences in 1978-2008, nodding my head, even dealing with tears at times, but also having heard Jesus speak into my own sorrow. What a tribute to the author that she could effectively communicate in such a way to bring alongside those who have also suffered. I think that in itself is highest praise for her work.
Second, as a Lutheran pastor/theologian, I look at the underlying theology and see what is behind the content. Thus, I am attuned to differences in theological expressions. For instance, I expected the author’s approach to be based on “decision theology.” From a Lutheran perspective this would be a negative, because typically such theology takes away from Christ and what he has done, which affects not only “coming to faith” but also how Jesus is viewed relative to our lives after that time. In other words, “Jesus becomes a model for us to follow,” which can be defeatist for the Christian, especially for the one in sorrow. How many can follow Christ perfectly? Rather than a relief, this becomes an impossible burden.
Significantly, while the author occasionally reflects such an approach, the overall thrust of the book is that she clings to that which is truly gospel, namely what Christ has done for us. For that I rejoice! Guthrie clearly articulates the gospel at strategic points in the book. For instance, in the Introduction, her pastor’s question at the graveside was right on target: “This is the place where we ask, ‘Is the gospel really true?’” (p. xiv). As she relates, the question reflected her own desperation and discovery, readily identifying with the hope that Peter expressed in John 6, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” She writes: “Not having that hope to hold on to would have been an unbearable agony. I also knew that Jesus provided my only hope for coming back to life myself, as I felt the life in me was being snuffed out by sorrow” (p. xv). In her invitation to read Jesus’ words anew, she notes, “There is life, power, and authority in his every word. He speaks life into death, hope into despair, truth into delusion, meaning into futility, peace into panic” (pp. xix-xx).
Likewise in Chapter 1, “I, Too, Have Known Overwhelming Sorrow” Guthrie reflects this tension. “So many of the other ways I had heard Jesus speaking to me … were mostly about listening for what he could do for me. But in this hard place of grief, hearing Jesus was less about what he could do for me and more about the companionship he could share with me” (p. 3). She continues, “It’s in our suffering that we can truly begin to identify with his” (p. 4). Here I might quibble about the wording, but she comes back to the essential truth: Jesus for us, expressed in many different ways, is above all else.
The author also faced the seemingly impossible tension between God’s sovereignty and God’s grace. “I wondered how God could be truly sad with me since it had been in his power to cause things to work out differently. I think this is the wall that those of us who believe in God’s sovereignty run into eventually. And when we feel its full force, it hurts” (p. 12). I can certainly identify with that seeming indifference to my plight. Significantly, Guthrie comes to right junction, the intersection between the infinite, wise God and his plans and our own ideas about what is best can only be resolved in the cross of Jesus Christ. She continues, “It is at this place of inner conflict — where what we want and believe would be best seems to be at cross-purposes with the plans of God — where we need to hear Jesus speak” (p. 12). I have to think that she intended the double meaning of “cross-purposes” in this context.
Chapters 3 and 4 provide the clear expression of the Gospel because she recognizes the real problem. Prayers for healing become a double-edged sword, which she addresses head-on. “Those of us who do not get the physical healing we prayed for can be left assuming that either our faith is deficient or God is unable or unwilling to heal us or the one we love” (p. 24). The key to an appropriate response to this situation comes later in chapter 3, under the subtitle, “Jesus Speaks to Our Most Significant Sickness.” She writes, “Jesus comes to get to the real root of our problem, the cause of all our suffering and sorrow. He came on a mission to destroy what has brought on all our misery: sin” (p. 33). What follows on pages 35-38 should be mandatory reading for pastors, grief counselors, and every Christian, as summarized at the end of chapter 3,
“Perhaps what we need is not a miraculous healing of our bodies but a powerful awareness of our sin-sickness. We need to see our sin for the certain death it delivers — not just to our mortal bodies, but to our eternal souls. Only then can we appreciate the miracle Jesus offers us when he heals us of this fatal disease of sin.” (P. 38)
At the end of each chapter, Guthrie provides a unique way to express the key thoughts of the chapter with a short section titled “Hear Jesus Speak.” She takes several Biblical passages then makes them first-person narrative as Jesus speaking personally to the reader. She also provides a list of the Biblical passages used to develop this section. Not only is this effective as a summary, but it highlights the “Jesus to me; Jesus for me” truth of the entire book.
This will prove very beneficial to many people experiencing suffering/sorrow/tribulation. For the one experiencing any of this, Nancy Guthrie invites you to walk together to better understand this God who calls us to faith and brings us through the trials. The book is well written, direct, sensitive, Biblically solid, and offers a refreshing approach to a difficult topic. For pastors, this is an ideal companion to Richard Eyer’s book,“ Pastoral Care Under the Cross.”
Thank you, Nancy, for this important book.
March 14, 2025
I really value this book. I’ll be honest, I think if I had read it in a different season of life, it may have gotten 5 stars. In some ways, it was challenging to read a book on sorrow and suffering in a season that has (thankfully!) felt a lot more like a mountaintop than a valley.
With that said, I can see myself coming back to this one in the future. It’s a short read but full of truth and a whole lot of comfort. Would recommend this without hesitation to people who are grieving or struggling. Nancy Guthrie writes from experience, and I feel like that makes all the difference in the world.
With that said, I can see myself coming back to this one in the future. It’s a short read but full of truth and a whole lot of comfort. Would recommend this without hesitation to people who are grieving or struggling. Nancy Guthrie writes from experience, and I feel like that makes all the difference in the world.
April 9, 2022
A life-changing book for anyone who has experienced loss. Excellent truth and encouragement in every chapter.
January 21, 2019
I appreciate Nancy's willingness to share truth and shine the light of hope into the darkness of sorrow. This book is an excellent picture of how Jesus, being acquainted with grief, can say "take my yoke upon you and come to me all who are burdened and heavy laden."
August 1, 2021
Once again, Nancy Guthrie doesn’t disappoint. I loved the way she broke the Biblical ideas presented into categories and ended each chapter with a fictional prayer of Jesus taken from scriptures. This book was a comfort in the midst of some very sorrowful events in my life. I thank God for it and for Nancy who applied knowledge of scripture to her own sorrow, thus setting an example to other sufferers as to how Jesus actually does meet us in our sorrow.
July 20, 2025
This is an unforgettable read, and one of the most helpful books I read during a time when I was navigating excruciating loss. Nancy helps us apply gospel hope to so many areas of grief/pain/loss. I HIGHLY recommend this simple book to anyone in a season of sorrow, or to anyone helping someone who is.
September 28, 2022
I appreciated her writing from her experiences - that was very helpful. But not the shaded pages where "Jesus Speaks To Me". Bumped it from 4 stars to 3.
August 22, 2020
Nancy speaks openly and honestly about the devastation of death and loss. However, her ability to pull out of it the hope that can spring forth from the tragedy that life often presents us with gives the reader a glimpse of God, who He is, what it is He longs to give to us. What awaits in the midst of the tragedy of loss, if we Have not experienced loss such as she has ,or what we can have if we have traveled a path not unlike hers can be found in the midst of laying our questions at the feet of Jesus.
Our questions will either draw us toward Him or pull us away from Him. Pain and sorrow are not unknown to Jesus, and when they become our own he is right in the midst of them working to bring good out of them. They are no surprise to him. This concept is not a new one but reading of someone such as Nancy Guthrie who has personally tasted of the depth of suffering she has, our eyes are opened to see God in a new light,our ears are opened as we hear Him speak His truth into our darkest times the purpose and the joy produced as a result.
Our questions will either draw us toward Him or pull us away from Him. Pain and sorrow are not unknown to Jesus, and when they become our own he is right in the midst of them working to bring good out of them. They are no surprise to him. This concept is not a new one but reading of someone such as Nancy Guthrie who has personally tasted of the depth of suffering she has, our eyes are opened to see God in a new light,our ears are opened as we hear Him speak His truth into our darkest times the purpose and the joy produced as a result.
March 2, 2018
An honest, compassionate, and hope-filled book, which doesn't shy away from the big questions of living in our imperfect world and trusting in our almighty God. Nancy Guthrie speaks from experience, and shares the hope and comfort that she has found in Jesus in times of struggle and sorrow. I am reminded of the Bible verse: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Nancy Guthrie has been putting this into practice, and it brought comfort to my soul.
August 8, 2017
If you have lost someone or you are struggling with a painful why this book is for you. I lost my mom and my struggle with my faith and with the entire design of why take our loved ones god has been a very real painful struggle. This book has been my comfort and my gentle reminder that Jesus has open arms for me.
July 27, 2021
A necessary read for any believer currently walking in grief or walking alongside someone who is.
January 19, 2021
I read this book in January as it's the 4th anniversary of our miscarriage. Nancy Guthrie is a phenomenal Bible teacher and I am not surprised that this book was not filled with sentimental "fluff." Rather she addresses our questions about suffering head on with rich, Biblical truth. I walk away from this understanding more of Jesus' heart in suffering and knowing Him more. I'm incredibly grateful!
November 19, 2025
In a time in my life where grief and tragedy have been paramount, this book helped ease some of the tough questions and thoughts I had. Guthrie does a fantastic job pointing the reader to Christ and reminding us who He is. She speaks from deep, personal experience. Highly recommend.
May 26, 2016
In his work The Problem of Pain, prolific Christian author C.S. Lewis wrote, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” [1] For some reason, much of the contemporary Christian world has forgotten God’s purpose of pain, or maybe we’ve never learned it. Into this gap between success focused, performance centric worship and the reality of pain and suffering experiences by many Christians, Nancy Guthrie speaks. Drilling down into eleven specific circumstances, Nancy challenges her readers to find God rather than run from Him when they experience pain, suffering, grief or unanswered prayers.
Hearing Jesus speak into your Sorrow Nancy GuthrieFrom my own life, I have to shout a hearty AMEN to Nancy for her courage to write this honest testimony. While I began my life expecting every Christian, god-centered experience to be full of victory and strength, like Guthrie and Lewis, I’ve learned that the deep placed of God’s heart of compassion and mercy are only plumbed when we are sailing into a storm, in the middle of the night, and Jesus is seemingly asleep in the back of the boat.
I particularly enjoy Nancy’s addition of discussion questions in an appendix at the tail end of the book. These discussion starters make the book perfect for use in a small group . . . a place where we can receive the gift of his grace offered through others. Christian organizations like Grief Share and Celebrate Recovery that help believers recover from life-controlling emotional experiences, would greatly benefit from adding this book to their list of resources.
I highly recommend this book for anyone suffering under the weight of life’s injustice. God is waiting to talk to you, and sometimes all it takes is a book like this to help us quiet our hearts.
Hearing Jesus speak into your Sorrow Nancy GuthrieFrom my own life, I have to shout a hearty AMEN to Nancy for her courage to write this honest testimony. While I began my life expecting every Christian, god-centered experience to be full of victory and strength, like Guthrie and Lewis, I’ve learned that the deep placed of God’s heart of compassion and mercy are only plumbed when we are sailing into a storm, in the middle of the night, and Jesus is seemingly asleep in the back of the boat.
I particularly enjoy Nancy’s addition of discussion questions in an appendix at the tail end of the book. These discussion starters make the book perfect for use in a small group . . . a place where we can receive the gift of his grace offered through others. Christian organizations like Grief Share and Celebrate Recovery that help believers recover from life-controlling emotional experiences, would greatly benefit from adding this book to their list of resources.
I highly recommend this book for anyone suffering under the weight of life’s injustice. God is waiting to talk to you, and sometimes all it takes is a book like this to help us quiet our hearts.
November 7, 2021
Lots of helpful insights into enduring suffering and maintaining a proper perspective through trials. I disagree a bit with Guthrie on God’s involvement with the evil that happens in the world, and I think she has trouble toeing the line of God being sovereign without directly causing evil, but this book was still really helpful. I especially appreciated the chapter on Jesus saving us from ourselves—inviting us to deny ourselves (our wills, wants, plans, preferences, desires and demands) to truly follow Him. Suffering can produce this in us/bring us to this point, but I don’t think God specifically ordains suffering for this purpose. Otherwise brokenness and sin would not be things to be mourned over to the extent that I think we see they are in Scripture (even by Christ himself).
I also valued her honesty in describing her hope for a child unaffected by the genetic condition that took her daughter’s life but acknowledging that this was ultimately an uninformed expectation and that God did not owe this to her. Keeping a proper view of God and what we’re actually promised during life here on Earth, however difficult, is vital for a firm foundation of faith.
“What matters is that we are convinced that God loves us and that his love is not merely sentimental or a commitment to our comfort. We know his love is an active commitment to our ultimate good and our eternal happiness.”
I also valued her honesty in describing her hope for a child unaffected by the genetic condition that took her daughter’s life but acknowledging that this was ultimately an uninformed expectation and that God did not owe this to her. Keeping a proper view of God and what we’re actually promised during life here on Earth, however difficult, is vital for a firm foundation of faith.
“What matters is that we are convinced that God loves us and that his love is not merely sentimental or a commitment to our comfort. We know his love is an active commitment to our ultimate good and our eternal happiness.”
March 9, 2023
I read this after hearing my friend Alexandra recommend it on a Joyful Journey Podcast episode, talking about losing her mom to cancer.
Suffering and sorrow are an inevitable part of the human existence, and I wanted to better understand how to view that suffering through the eyes of my faith in Christ.
•
•
Nancy Guthrie is no stranger to heartache and loss... She lost two sweet babes shortly after their births and talks openly and honestly about her doubts and griefs during that time.
I so appreciated that authenticity. No one wants to be offered trite, cliché proverbs when life hurts.
I loved the premise of the book and found many helpful truths and comforts from thinking through the purpose and protection Jesus may be offering us, even through our pain.
•
•
🚨 Negatives: The grayed chapter endings - where she writes a letter to the reader from Jesus' perspective - were just weird to me, so I skipped them. She also gets a little mystical at times, talking about hearing Jesus' voice in our spirit. I get what she's trying to say, but it felt a lil too touchy-feely-spooky for me.
When specifically discussing sorrow over losing loved ones, she deals fairly exclusively with the death of children / believers, so it wasn't incredibly helpful for grieving the loss of those not in Christ.
•
•
👍🏽 Overall: A great comforting read to help Christians develop a theology of suffering - especially suffering due to losing a believing loved one.
Suffering and sorrow are an inevitable part of the human existence, and I wanted to better understand how to view that suffering through the eyes of my faith in Christ.
•
•
Nancy Guthrie is no stranger to heartache and loss... She lost two sweet babes shortly after their births and talks openly and honestly about her doubts and griefs during that time.
I so appreciated that authenticity. No one wants to be offered trite, cliché proverbs when life hurts.
I loved the premise of the book and found many helpful truths and comforts from thinking through the purpose and protection Jesus may be offering us, even through our pain.
•
•
🚨 Negatives: The grayed chapter endings - where she writes a letter to the reader from Jesus' perspective - were just weird to me, so I skipped them. She also gets a little mystical at times, talking about hearing Jesus' voice in our spirit. I get what she's trying to say, but it felt a lil too touchy-feely-spooky for me.
When specifically discussing sorrow over losing loved ones, she deals fairly exclusively with the death of children / believers, so it wasn't incredibly helpful for grieving the loss of those not in Christ.
•
•
👍🏽 Overall: A great comforting read to help Christians develop a theology of suffering - especially suffering due to losing a believing loved one.
January 12, 2019
I would have liked to have spent more time in this book, but it was borrowed from an interlibrary loan, so I couldn't. I liked the chapter "I am in Control of your Life and Death". Here is a quote: "you will live exactly the number of days God has ordained for you. This means that when that person you loved died in an awful accident, it didn't catch God by surprise. It means that even though it seems like the one you loved died much too soon, it was really right on time." It goes on to say, "This means you can surrender all the if-onlys that taunt you in your thoughts--If only he had gone to the doctor earlier, If only I had warned her, If only he had stayed home that day..." I would recommend this book!
Read
February 2, 2020When someone special to you dies, it leaves an immense hole. I suffered the loss of four family members and one pet in as many years and needed a book that could read into this sorrow. It is not going to fix all your problems, but it did encourage me to go to Surviving the Holidays, a GriefShare workshop. Do what you can for your well-being, overcoming any survivor's guilt, forgiving yourself (especially for the pet situation where I signed the paperwork for her to be put to sleep), and why God allows so many deaths piled up at once.
March 12, 2021
If you are going through a loss of any kind I highly recommend this book! It was a very therapeutic read and goes through so many topics and feelings you experience while grieving. She put into words what I’ve been feeling, without me fully realizing I was feeling and experiencing that. This book gave comfort and hope to me in the midst of my grief. The only thing I didn’t love about the book was at the end of each chapter she has a blurb as though Jesus is talking (based on scripture) but it is written in paraphrased, modern language. I don’t think the book needed that.
September 22, 2018
Nancy Guthrie is one of my favorite bible teachers. Her writings are full of love and grace. Everything she writes points to Jesus! This short book helps the believer wrestle with hard questions and truths about sorrow, pain and suffering. Nancy encourages the believer throughout the book to press into Jesus. Her testimony, and the loss of 2 of her children is woven throughout this book. A book I highly recommend for anyone who has suffered or is currently suffering.
January 31, 2023
Read for a book club. I like the teaching of Nancy Guthrie and this personal reflection on struggle and suffering was valuable. I like what the back cover says about inviting “readers to lean in along with her to hear Jesus speak understanding and insight into lingering questions we have about the hurts of life…we come to clarity about the promises of the gospel we may have misapplied and the purposes of God we may have misunderstood.” Recommend for anyone struggling with loss.
July 16, 2025
This is definitely a book I will be rereading again and again. Nancy did a wonderful job of sharing honest thoughts and feelings one has when walking through sorrow and addressing those with what Jesus says in scripture. I’m amazed at how the Lord has given her so much wisdom through her heartbreaking suffering and given her the strength to be so vulnerable.
Read w church women’s summer book study.
Read w church women’s summer book study.
April 6, 2021
Some parts of this book were so comforting and exactly what I needed to hear. Other parts were definitely more challenging and there is one chapter I still am not sure I agree with, but I am glad to be challenged and glad for the overall wisdom and the insights and perspectives that came from reading this.
October 8, 2023
Nancy knows how to speak to those in sorrow having lived it herself. I started reading this book at the loss of our 29 day old micro-preemie granddaughter. I had to set it aside for a time. The messages in this book spoke to me and calmed my troubled heart. It brought my living savior near and it’s a book I want my daughter to read. If you’ve suffered loss, please read this book.
September 22, 2025
This is one of the most important books I have ever read. As a person battling cancer it helped me see things so much clearer. It helped me see death differently. Nancy Guthrie has a story that gives her credibility and helped me trust that she absolutely understands. I’m eternally grateful for this book and know it will help countless people in the future. I plan to give out many copies.
June 28, 2017
This book was so timely in my battle with chronic illness. Nancy speaks straight to the heart with solid truths in the truth of Jesus that leave your heart full despite the emptiness sorrow leaves us in. A must read for anyone battling grief of any kind.
July 15, 2019
I believe this is one of, if not the best book I’ve ever read on suffering. Nancy brings so much insight and truth to this subject. She speaks from her personal experience. She tackles the hard questions! I will put this one on my Unforgettable list!
May 15, 2017
Great Book!
July 18, 2018
A good book on a really hard subject. I appreciate that Guthrie doesn’t sugarcoat her counsel. She’s walked the road of sorrow and done the grief work and readers receive the benefit of that work.
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