God of Pain

I have been a pastor for over 30 years now, and I have seen too many people who have been discouraged in their faith, because life hit them hard and they felt that God had left them or was unkind to them. They had developed an unbiblical view of what a loving heavenly Father looks like, and when the suffering came and the troubles grew stronger in their lives, it became obvious to them that God was not real. And they are correct- the god whom they sought after and worshipped and served was not real; he was a god fashioned out of a mostly North American health and wealth mentality, the belief that God loves me above all, and He just wants to bless me and give me everything I need and want. They believe all they have to do is be a good Christian. They would say to themselves, "I was a good Christian: I went to church regularly, gave money, read my Bible, prayed and loved my enemies, but my wife got sick, or I lost my job and my mom and dad died, and I can't serve a God that would do that to me, after all I have done for Him."Chapter 5 is a walk through the Bible, doing case studies looking at suffering as part of the purpose of God in our lives.