Book Review: When The Hurt Won’t Heal
“Where is God when pain piles upon pain? Is there purpose behind it all? How can we forestall the emotional roller coaster an enduring trial can produce? Can we grow spiritually while physical limitations shrink our world? How do we find help for such perplexing questions when easy answers will not suffice?”¹
Perhaps you have asked—or even now are asking—questions concerning the goodness and purposes of God in the midst of afflictions. Perhaps you have already come to know Jesus, but you are asking a question similar to John the Baptist: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Luke 7:19). In other words, “Jesus, if you are the One who has come to restore all things, then why am I imprisoned (in this affliction)? Jesus, are You really faithful? Can I really endure this? Will you indeed provide a way of escape?” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
In When the Hurt Won’t Heal, Craig Svensson helps us rightly and reverently articulate the questions that our sometimes doubtful and despairing hearts fail to articulate well. As one who works with those facing various afflictions and as one who daily faces the symptoms of chronic illness, I found myself unable to put this small book down once I started reading it. Craig is one who suffers from various forms of chronic illness, and in doing so has more fully come to know the God of all comfort that he might now comfort others in their afflictions (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
Central to the message of his book is this: “. . . the good news of Jesus Christ changes everything, including how we live in the face of chronic illness. The joy that Jesus promises is not only for those who live with good health. It’s also for those facing various types of enduring trials, including chronic illness.”
Svensson’s focus on the providence of God in our suffering is presented in a way that is both encouraging and graciously instructive. He notes: “It’s one thing to acknowledge that all that happens is part of God’s providence, his unfolding plan for our lives. But can it settle my troubled heart? Can this knowledge bring comfort in our times of turmoil? If so, why and how?” While Svensson advocates that we should pray for relief in the midst of our afflictions, in light of Psalm 13 he also helps us think about what worship looks like when our hearts cry out, “How long, O Lord?”
Svensson helps us to understand the importance of the heart in ongoing affliction:
A journey through life with chronic illness is like traveling a road with dangerous ditches on both sides. Swerve to the left and you’ll descend into the depths of despondency. Swerve to the right and your illness will become the focus of your life and the core of your identity… The pursuits of our hearts are always important. If we seek for the wrong thing, our longings will ruin us. Thus, what we pursue when in the crucible of affliction is crucial. Our pleadings in prayer during times of suffering not only reveal the deepest longings of our hearts; they also mold our hearts. They shape our thoughts and affections. And the affections of our hearts are what drive our actions.
While the tendency in suffering is self-focus, Svennson shows us the high calling and reward of suffering in pointing to the ministry of Jesus upon the cross as well as Paul with the thorn in his flesh (Matthew 26; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10).
Afflictions help us see how needy we really are, but of even greater significance is the fact that they give the opportunity to know God’s grace and power at work within us like nothing else can. Throughout the book there are practical, biblical precepts on how to understand and grow through suffering. At the end of each chapter, there are “Questions for Reflection and Application” that I find beneficial for both personal use as well as in counseling and small group settings.
Scripture tells us that God is good and does good (Psalm 119:68). Svensson helps us understand that God’s good purposes are sometimes accomplished in the midst of our ongoing afflictions (2 Corinthians 12:7–10; James 1:2–4):
The pulverizing impact of a sculptor’s hammer and chisel ultimately reveals a beauty none but the artist could perceive in advance. The scorching heat of a refiner’s fire burns away dross to produce purer metal. Similarly, believers who understand the heart work accomplished by trials will see their refining work as a gift from God. In bringing the trial, he is not doing something to us, but he is doing something in us and through us. And what he does brings blessing.
¹ Note: all quotes are taken from Craig Svensson, When the Hurt Won’t Heal: Living with Chronic Illness (New Growth Press, 2024).
