This book teaches you how to embrace God even in suffering

Embracing God in Your Suffering by Dave Furman (Evangelical Press) offers a pastoral, personal, and biblically rich reflection on walking with God through seasons of pain, disability, depression, and disappointment.

This is not simply a theological exposition, but is birthed out of Furman’s own lived experiences of disability through long-term nerve damage and seasons of depression. In this work, readers are invited to turn towards God - their rock - in suffering. To find refuge, not in the hope of a pain-free life, but in the presence and promises of Christ.

The central image framing the book comes from a quote often attributed to Charles Spurgeon: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” Rather than treating suffering as something to avoid, Furman calls Christians to embrace God in the midst of it, seeing suffering as a means of deeper communion with him”.

Furman writes with deep authenticity and vulnerability, never minimising the horror of suffering or offering easy, triumphalist answers. Instead, he speaks as someone who knows suffering intimately and has found not resolution in the removal of pain, but joy and hope in Christ through it. His honesty will refresh readers weary of shallow Christian approaches that treat suffering as something to fix with faith or positive thinking.

The book reads more like letters from a compassionate friend than a theological treatise. It is simple without being simplistic, and profound without being pretentious

Moreover, the book is deeply rooted in scripture. Each chapter weaves biblical exposition with personal testimony, drawing from the Psalms, the Gospels, Job, and Paul’s letters. Furman’s approach is pastoral rather than technical, but it is faithful and theologically grounded. He makes clear that suffering is never outside of God’s control - yet God’s sovereignty is portrayed not as cold or distant, but as a comforting reality where goodness and power work for the believer’s ultimate good.

Furman keeps Christ at the centre. Whether reflecting on Job’s sufferings, Paul’s letters, or the hope of resurrection, his consistent focus is the sufficiency of Christ for every season of pain. Readers are not invited to ‘try harder’ to feel better but are repeatedly called to gaze upon Christ’s finished work, faithful presence, and coming kingdom. As he writes: “We don’t “feel better” by trying harder or distracting ourselves. We don’t lift ourselves out of the pit through positive thinking. Instead, I can think of no better way forward than to point you to the greatness of our God and all that he has done for us in Christ Jesus. It’s only when we take our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and gaze upon him and his work that we can keep our heads above water when the high tide of our trials comes our way.”

Furman writes in a highly accessible, pastoral style. The book reads more like letters from a compassionate friend than a theological treatise. It is simple without being simplistic, and profound without being pretentious. This makes it ideal for a wide audience: those suffering, pastors ministering to the hurting, or Christians seeking a deeper theology of hope in hardship.

Readers seeking a deeper theological or philosophical treatment will need to look elsewhere. There is also some thematic repetition, particularly around God’s sovereignty and Christ’s sufficiency. However, for readers in the midst of grief, this likely feels like gentle reinforcement rather than a flaw.

Embracing God in Your Suffering is a heartfelt, scripture-saturated, Christ-exalting guide for those navigating life’s storms. It offers real hope without false promises, pointing readers to the ultimate joy found in Christ. It is a gift to the Church and to all who suffer.

Embracing God in Your Suffering by Dave Furman is out now