Clinging to Hope: What Scripture Says About Weathering Times of Trouble, Chaos, and Calamity

In this uplifting manual, Swindoll (Good Morning, Lord... Can We Talk?), host of the radio program Insight for Living, shares recommendations for remaining hopeful in the face of hardships. “We can endure unexpected calamities... by taking our stand on the strong foundation of God’s Word,” he contends, by looking to scripture for guidance. Swindoll suggests that the book of James acknowledges the inevitability of adversity in its counsel for “when troubles... come your way,” “not if,” and he encourages readers to view hard times as trials that strengthen one’s faith. Positing that “closed doors are a gift from God,” he tells of how his wife’s boss was barred from boarding an overbooked flight only for the plane to crash, killing all aboard. Swindoll encourages readers to see loneliness as an opportunity to contemplate what God wants to teach them and observes that Jesus, in the book of Mark, makes time in his busy schedule to pray in solitude. The author writes with the casual tone of an erudite dinner guest speaking on his favorite subject, masterfully distilling advice from the stories of Jesus, Joseph, Job, and David. Christians will find this a salve. (Nov.)