Although I confess that I didn’t know what I was getting when I purchased the book, “Suffering is not in vain”, I have since come to recommend it. This book has been one of my favorite books to help me reflect on suffering in the short time we have lived.
Suffering is not in vain is a book by Elisabeth Elliot in which she reveals the worst moments of her life as well as her approach to dealing with them, trusting God who understands exactly what is happening.
Elisabeth, the daughter of missionaries and committed to sharing the Gospel together with her husband is speaking out about her situation with her daughter after her husband was killed in the jungle by the Waorani people of Ecuador. Her second husband, who was also a missionary, died from cancer later. Where can I find the strength?
Elisabeth offers some comfort words in the opening pages to the first chapter.
“I’ve been through many difficult times in my own life, just like you, and while I can’t say that I understand what you are going though, I can tell you that I know who He is. Through my deepest sufferings, I have learned that God has taught me the most important lessons. If we trust Him for this, then we can have an unshakeable assurance that He is in charge. He has a loving purpose. He can make something awful into something beautiful.
Jennifer Lyell prepared “Suffering Is Never In Vain“. This was the title of the article that was written by Jennifer Lyell. She was inspired to write it after listening to six lectures with the same title. He met Elisabeth Ellioth, whom he admired, at an advanced stage in her illness. However, he writes some very personal words about the author in the preface.
Elisabeth Elliot uses this book to talk about the painful experiences we all have to endure in order to show that it is part of living a Christian life. His experiences are not meant to be a warning to us that we must accept it as it is.
He starts by describing a horrible truth: suffering is real and God cares about it. He doesn’t look at us from afar, but he experienced it through his Son Jesus. Continue to speak of the message. God will do all he can to get our attention in order that we may understand his love. He speaks about acceptance, gratitude and offering, as well as transfiguration, in the third chapter. He is always pointing to Jesus.
What is important about this book? Elisabeth Elliot shows us how to learn from the perspective of someone who has suffered. She isn’t someone who only gives lessons from a position of privilege, but she reveals that she was able to move on because she had faith in her Savior. We are able to feel his empathy and understanding for those who suffer, as he shares what he has read.
This book had phrases that I needed to know, such as:
“If we can learn to love God even in our pain, then we will realize that there is no High Priest who cannot understand our weaknesses. He has walked every mile of the trail. Richard Baxter’s old hymn, “Christ does not lead me through rooms darker that those He has been before,” is a favorite of mine.
“Suffering in no way is vain” is a valuable teaching tool for anyone who has suffered. It is highly recommended for anyone with a few problems. We all face unexpected situations because we can see that everything can change in an instant.
Abba recommends this book to both women and men. Although it’s only 100 pages, it’s worth taking the time to read it slowly to fully appreciate its benefits. This is not a Bible-based study on suffering. However, it is not one of those superficial books about suffering that is related to motivation and “if I want, you can conquer anything”. It’s a useful guide to help us trust God no matter what the situation.
Elisabeth Elliot served as a wife and mother, a missionary, speaker, writer, and a mother. He provided biblical guidance to people all over the globe through his radio program, lectures, and more 20 books that he published in his lifetime. Elisabeth was the daughter of missionaries. She studied at Wheaton College where she found her passion for New Testament Greek. This allowed her to make the Bible more accessible. Later she was invited to share Scripture with those who didn’t know God and his Word. She was also a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and minister in public. Elizabeth, Lars Gren, was left behind by Valeria Elliot, their daughter, and eight grandchildren.
