Suffering and the Christian Life V1 - When the Stars Disappear: Help and Hope from Stories of Suffering in Scripture

Book Description:

When suffering overwhelms us, it is easy to despair and even doubt God's goodness. As the clouds of suffering roll in, we can lose sight of everything but our pain. In these moments, when the stars disappear, we must turn to Scripture to find assurance that God can and will carry us through.

In this book, Mark Talbot recounts the suffering of some of the Bible's greatest saints. They show us what it means to remain faithful and hopeful through life's darkest times-and thus help us cling to God's sure promise that he will never leave us or forsake us but will be with us and sustain us until the storms subside and the stars reappear.

Table of Contents:
1. When the Stars Disappear
2. Suffering Saints: God's People May Suffer Terribly
3. Breathing Lessons: How to Survive Great Suffering
4. The Rest of Their Stories: God's Steadfast Love for Naomi, Job, and Jeremiah
Epilogue: Living within the Full Christian Story

Author:

Mark Talbot (PhD, University of Pennsylvania) is associate professor of philosophy at Wheaton College. His areas of expertise include philosophical psychology, philosophical theology, David Hume, Augustine, and Jonathan Edwards. He and his wife, Cindy, have one daughter and three grandchildren. Mark attends Christ Presbyterian Church in Roselle, Illinois.

Endorsements:

"Talbot's experience of suffering gives him a heart of empathy for anyone who struggles to understand the hard ways of God. His rigor as a Christian philosopher equips him to voice the most disturbing questions we have about human pain without minimizing their difficulty or giving in to despair. Talbot uses stories from Scripture to offer the clear practical and theological guidance that suffering believers need to move forward in hope. This beautiful book will comfort readers with the assurance that we are never alone in our suffering but sustained by our ever-loving Savior."
--Philip Graham Ryken, President, Wheaton College

"Through decades of quadriplegia and chronic pain, the Bible has been my source of great comfort and encouragement. And I don't mean only the Psalms or verses about affliction. For me, it's been the stories of godly men and women in the Bible who radiate courage and perseverance despite unthinkable suffering. I have learned how to trust God from their examples, even when painful challenges try to drag me down. It's why I love this new book, When the Stars Disappear. Mark Talbot gives the reader a remarkable study of suffering saints and how their mistakes and victories teach us lessons of endurance. I highly recommend this stellar discussion of true Bible stories that will inspire and refresh your heart!" -
--Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder and CEO, Joni and Friends International Disability Center

 "I can think of no better way to ask hard questions about the suffering of believers than by delving into the words and stories of Scripture. In this first of four volumes, Talbot dives in deep. He sets the reality of personal, painful experience in the sure context of God's revelation, which not only fully acknowledges Christians' suffering but also lights up hope in God, ultimately through his Son."
--Kathleen Nielson, author; speaker; Senior Adviser, The Gospel Coalition

"Many and varied are the books that wrestle with suffering and evil, but in his projected four volumes on the subject Mark Talbot has found some fresh approaches. In this first volume he avoids philosophical and abstract questions, but focuses close attention on a handful of people in the Bible who went through suffering. Their suffering was highly diverse: Naomi, Job, Jeremiah, and some of the psalmists. By leading us through their darkest hours, Talbot lends a personal realism to their sorrow while showing that God often provides life-transforming grace to his suffering people in the midst of their pain, rather than simply taking it all away as fast as possible."
--D. A. Carson, Theologian-at-Large, The Gospel Coalition

Additional Information: