“God’s people know profound pain, but no circumstance can make God one bit less worthy of our praise. God is worthy of our worship simply because of who he is. Our worship is ultimately rooted in his character, not our circumstances.”

Ligon Duncan

Hope is in short supply these days, especially given the current climate of our country and recent happenings surrounding the coronavirus. Aside from all of that, many of us who know God experience difficult times when it feels like God is simply silent in the midst of our pain and suffering. In his book When Pain is Real and God Seems Silent, Ligon Duncan speaks to these feelings and directs readers to find hope in the psalms.

Duncan takes a look at two psalms in particular–88 and 89. Published by Crossway, this short little book is only 52 pages, so it’s not an extensive treatment of these two psalms. But because of its brevity, it’s also a very accessible read for anyone who wants to pick it up. You’ll not find a lot of complicated theological concepts here, but Duncan still manages to leave us awestruck by the wonder of a sovereign God who is intimately connected and aware of our situations.

In fact, Duncan gives some incredible truths for us to grab onto from these two psalms. He makes four observations from Psalm 88 and three from Psalm 89. Observations like “the psalmist knows the pain of unanswered prayer” or “the promises of God do not exempt us from suffering and calamity; instead, they enable us to suffer with hope.” From Psalm 88, he draws four lessons for suffering well–divine revelation, God’s character, God’s glory, and eternal perspective. From Psalm 89, he highlights three doctrines to sustain us in our suffering–election, the covenant of grace, and the sovereignty of God.

I found myself worshiping as I read through this short little book, amazed at God’s grace to show me who he is, even in the midst of struggle. Perhaps, it is even in those times of struggle that we are in tune to who God actually is, as our ears are perked up a little more, and our hearts are longing for relief. There is relief to be found in the psalms, and certainly more than in just Psalms 88 and 89, but Ligon Duncan does encouraging work here by pointing us to who God is and how Jesus impacts our pain and suffering. God is not silent in the midst of our suffering; on the contrary, he has spoken to us loudly through his Word.

Here are some samples of what you’ll find in the book…

“Christians have loved the Psalms because they express our deepest emotions and put into words our most severe experiences.”

Page 15

“Of course, it’s never a bad idea to trust God or to encourage others to do the same. But as we minister to the suffering, we must also lend a sympathetic ear and exercise great patience. People must process pain and sorrow, not simply ‘let go’ of it.”

Page 16

“While we may not understand what God is doing, we can always trust who he is.”

Page 43

When Pain is Real and God Seems Silent is a book incredibly appropriate to the time in which we currently live. Many of us have experienced pain and heartbreak, especially lately, but there is hope in the One who controls it all, and the psalms are a great place to find that hope. If you’ve been feeling like God has been silent, I’d encourage you to pick up this short read. You can find the paperback version at Westminster Bookstore and the kindle version on Amazon.