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WHEN THE STARS DISAPPEAR & GIVE ME UNDERSTANDING THAT I MAY LIVE (Suffering and the Christian Life, Vols. 1 & 2)
MARK TALBOT
MARK TALBOT HAS JUST PUBLISHED HIS SECOND BRILLIANT VOLUME ON 'SUFFERING AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE' - BOTH CAN NOW BE PURCHASED FROM SOLID GROUND CHRISTIAN BOOKS.
(1) WHEN THE STARS DISAPPEAR: Help and Hope from Stories of Suffering in Scripture
“If you are a Christian who is experiencing suffering—or who is weighed down by the suffering of someone you love—then this book is for you. It offers profound, biblical reflections that do not dodge the hard questions or try to minimize the sometimes overpowering reality of pain and loss.”
—Timothy Larsen, McManis Professor of Christian Thought, Wheaton College
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
To My Readers
When the Stars Disappear
Suffering Saints: God’s People May Suffer Terribly
Breathing Lessons: How to Survive Great Suffering
The Rest of Their Stories: God’s Steadfast Love for Naomi, Job, and Jeremiah
Epilogue: Living within the Full Christian Story
Acknowledgments
A Reader’s Guide
Notes
Scripture Index
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
“Books offering palliatives to the problem of pain are ten a penny. But this splendid study is different. It is a careful, spiritual, sensitive treatment that does not shirk the emotional and imaginative dimensions of our lives. More importantly, it has to do with human expectations: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). Talbot sets a high standard of fidelity to Scripture as he considers three Old Testament figures—Naomi, Job and Jeremiah—and the New Testament passages that follow in that vein. So here Talbot is paying particular attention to suffering and the Christian life. This is not a purely theoretical approach to the issues, though it is very thoughtfully written. The discerning reader will have his appetite whetted for the other studies to follow. Unreservedly recommended.” -Paul Helm, Former Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion, King’s College London
“If you are a Christian who is experiencing suffering—or who is weighed down by the suffering of someone you love—then this book is for you. Talbot—a philosopher-theologian who is also a wheelchair-bound, chronic sufferer—knows what he is talking about. He offers profound, biblical reflections that do not dodge the hard questions or try to minimize the sometimes overpowering reality of pain and loss. When the Stars Disappear is a gift to every Christian who is hoping for a reason to hope.” -Timothy Larsen, McManis Professor of Christian Thought, 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, Joni and Friends International Disability Center
“When the Stars Disappear leads us through a deep, sobering, and powerful encounter with the depths of suffering experienced by three pivotal Old Testament figures. To those who suffer, it offers new hope, comfort, and insight into how to understand and endure such trials with biblically rooted and wise instruction regarding the indwelling grace of God and the ultimate outcome of our journeys. Talbot’s unique combination of wisdom, pastoral discernment, biblical fluency, and philosophical and theological mastery combines with his long personal experience of suffering to inform this unique work.” -Stanton L. Jones, Provost Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Wheaton College
“Anyone who has suffered, regardless of how much, should read this book. It ministered to me. We are reminded to be honest with God in prayer about how we feel about our suffering by, for example, asking God questions like the suffering psalmists do. But then Talbot places our suffering within Scripture’s overall storyline of creation, fall, redemption, and new creation, reminding us always to try to understand how God is using our suffering to fulfill that storyline. He explains how our suffering helps us better understand our relationship to Christ and his suffering. By continually going to Scripture, he shows us how saints such as Naomi, Job, and Jeremiah worked through their suffering and came to ultimate trust and hope in God about it.” -G. K. Beale, J. Gresham Machen Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary
“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, Cofounder and Theologian-at-Large, The Gospel Coalition
(2) GIVE ME UNDERSTANDING THAT I MAY LIVE: Situating Our Suffering within God's Redemptive Plan
Since creation’s fall, suffering has been part of earthly life. At times, it can feel overwhelming, even for believers who trust in the Lord. The Suffering and the Christian Life series provides help and hope from Scripture for those who are suffering.
In volume 2 of this series, Mark Talbot explores Scripture’s account of the origin, spread, and eventual end of suffering, giving Christians the perspective they need to get through life’s difficult times. He encourages readers to see themselves within the Bible’s storyline (creation, rebellion, redemption, and consummation), finding the courage to endure and taking comfort that God is at work for their good.
ENDORSEMENTS
“This may just be the finest treatment of biblical-theological perspectives on the nature, significance, and purpose of suffering that I have ever read. The exegetical roots of Talbot’s work run deep, his theological reflections are profound, his grasp of wide-ranging secondary literature is extraordinary, and his pastoral passion is transparent. We pray that this book will challenge, comfort, and inspire many whose experiences have landed them in the swamp of confusion and despair, and that it will be a helpful resource for those whom God calls to walk—or swim—with those in this state.” -Daniel I. Block, G. H. Knoedler Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Wheaton College; author, The Triumph of Grace and For the Glory of God
“Suffering is the greatest mystery of life, and God’s people have struggled with it since the days of Job. There is much about it that we shall never be able to understand, but Christians can know that whatever happens to us, we are children of God, and he will not allow us to fall away from his loving care. That is where we must begin, and the Scriptures offer us a rich resource for establishing our faith on a firm foundation. Mark Talbot takes us where we need to be.” -Gerald Bray, Research Professor of Divinity, History, and Doctrine, Beeson Divinity School; author, God Is Love and God Has Spoken
“None of us make it through this life without seeking to make sense of its inherent suffering. To help us in this pursuit, Mark Talbot takes us to the central story that helps us make sense of the suffering in our individual stories, the story of creation impacted by the curse because of sin. With insight and analysis of the original goal, original order, and original goodness of creation, he helps us to see not only how the impact of the curse has disrupted that order and goodness, but also what God is doing through Christ to redeem, restore, and bring us into the life of goodness and glory he intends to share with us forever.” -Nancy Guthrie, author, Even Better than Eden
“With this volume, Mark Talbot continues what looks set to be a tour de force on Christianity and the suffering Christian. In his first book, he pressed the existential power and importance of individual narratives of pain and anguish. Here he steps back and sets those stories within the larger framework of the great narrative of God’s dealings with his people. If it is true that every story of human suffering has its unique pain for those involved, Talbot demonstrates with characteristic conviction and authority that all redemption from suffering must be understood in terms of the unique revelation of God in Christ.” -Carl Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College
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(1) WHEN THE STARS DISAPPEAR: Help and Hope from Stories of Suffering in Scripture
 SGCB Price: $10.95 (list price $17.00)
(2) GIVE ME UNDERSTANDING THAT I MAY LIVE: Situating Our Suffering within God's Redemptive Plan
SGCB Price: $13.95 (list price $22.00)
BUY BOTH TITLES ON SUFFERING AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BY MARK TALBOT
SGCB Price: $22.00 (list price $39.00)
THIS IS THE PRICE FOR BOTH TITLES
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