Book Review: "The Goodness of God"
THE GOODNESS OF GOD
"Assurance of Purpose in the Midst of Suffering"
By Randy Alcorn
I have read literally dozens of books which tackle the question of reconciling suffering and evil in the world with the existence of an all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing God. This is undoubtedly one of the most fundamental questions any of us faces in our journey, and has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks of faith for countless people since time began.
I came at this book a bit skeptically, unsure that Alcorn's take on the subject would be worth my time. The book is small - only 115-some pages that are not large - and I was doubtful that such a huge and weighty subject could be adequately tackled with so few words. I was pleased to discover that my doubts were ill-founded. In these few, small pages, Alcorn has managed to distill the arguments and difficulties to their basic facets, addressing each with TRUTH in a simple, yet powerful way.
I don't think I'm exaggerating when I state that this book may well be the most important one many people can read, next to the Bible itself. The Body needs these truths: first, to answer our own questions and doubts. And secondly, to answer the cries of a hurting world. WHY does God allow evil and suffering in His world? Why do "bad things" happen to "good people"? Writing from the perspective of one who has himself had to grapple with these questions in personal, painful ways, Alcorn masterfully answers these questions with the truths of Scripture, using simple logic and fact to show that God really can be trusted.
The book is concise enough that any reader should be able to make it through without getting bogged down, yet it is remarkably comprehensive and does not brush aside any hard questions. The simplicity makes it a great resource for looking up answers, or to read with others for discussion and study. It is unquestionably one of the best books I have ever read on the topic, and I would recommend it most highly to anyone.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange this honest review.