4. 10 Questions About Pain and Suffering: 30 Devotions for Kids, Teens, and Families. Beth Broom. 2025. 128 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, christian nonfiction, devotions]
First sentence: Have you ever broken a bone? Maybe you've been really sick. Or maybe you have trouble finishing your schoolwork. These are all painful things that can happen to us.
There are ten questions addressed in Beth Broom's book. Each of the ten questions has three devotions associated with it. These devotions build upon one another so that by the end of the third day there is a succinct answer to the question being raised. Depending on the question, there can be layers to the answer, and the fact that multiple devotions address the same question can be helpful. It is like looking at the question from three viewpoints. The answers complement one another.
The ten questions tackled in this book are as follows:
1. What is suffering?
2. Why do we suffer?
3. If God is good, why does he let bad things happen?
4. Do Christians suffer less than non-Christians?
5. When Christians suffer, is it punishment?
6. How does God help me when I'm suffering?
7. How should Christians respond to suffering?
8. What if God doesn't answer my prayer for suffering to stop?
9. What gives someone hope when bad things keep happening?
10. How can I help someone else who is suffering?
Each devotion concludes with a clear, concise answer to the question, a prayer, and a reflection.
The answer to the first question given on the third day reads as follows, "Suffering is the experience of pain that everyone feels, because sin caused suffering to enter the world. But suffering doesn't last forever for Christians because God sent his Son into the world to suffer with us and rescue us."
I think the questions being discussed are good questions. I thought the answers were thoughtful and pointed to the gospel, pointed to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. I thought the repetition was helpful. Chances are readers will not read this one in one sitting. It is a thirty day devotional, so a refresher course on the question and the answer could be beneficial. I also think this could be a book that could be referred back to for reference. Perhaps the question doesn't weigh heavy now, but it might later. These answers might resonate more later as one's life experiences grow.
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