How Can God Help You Deal With Chronic Pain, Disability, and Illness?

By John Ankerberg, Joni Eareckson Tada and Michael Easley

In this study, you will experience the inspiring stories of Joni Eareckson Tada and Michael Easley along with what the Bible shares about the reasons for suffering and how God helps in our times of pain. God does not allow pain in our lives without reason. He also does not leave us without hope or His presence. The question is not "Why?" but "How can we live with the sufferings of this life?"

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Ankerberg
• Release date: Dec 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781941135426

John Ankerberg

John Ankerberg, host of the award-winning John Ankerberg Show, has three earned degrees: an MA in church history and the philosophy of Christian thought, an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a DMin from Luther Rice Seminary. He has coauthored the 2-million-selling Facts On series of apologetic books, as well as Taking a Stand for the Bible and Israel Under Fire.

Book preview

How Can God Help You Deal With Chronic Pain, Disability, and Illness?

Study Guide

John Ankerberg, Joni Eareckson Tada & Michael Easley

Published by ATRI Publishing

Copyright 2018

ISBN 9781941135426

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

First Printing, April 2012

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. NIV ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Edited by Dillon Burroughs. Layout and Cover Design by Beth Lamberson, ATRI Publishing, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Contents

Title page

Introduction

Session 1: Joni’s Story

Session 2: Michael’s Story

Session 3: Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Leader Resources

Appendix A: Why Does God Allow Suffering? Part 1

(Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. Norman Geisler)

Appendix B: How to Begin a Relationship with God

Appendix C: Praying for Those Who Do Not Believe

About the Authors

About the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute

Introduction

Welcome to the How Can God Help You Deal With Chronic Pain, Disability, and Illness? study guide. I recently spoke with a man who is now physically limited to his bed and can no longer work or contribute to his family. His questions? What purpose does my life have now? Why should I continue?

When you talk with your friends, how many times does the conversation turn to people you know who are encountering painful situations in their life or in the lives of those close to them? All around us, family and friends are suffering from severe chronic pain, disability, illness (sometimes life-ending), discouragement with life, heartache, and depression. In such situations it is natural to ask, What help does God provide on a daily basis when I am suffering?

The Bible is clear that we will all suffer at some time and to some degree during our lives but why? In my recent interview with Dr. Michael Easley, pastor and former president of Moody Bible Institute, he shared three specific reasons. First, we suffer due to our fallen human nature. Every person’s body will get sick at some point. This is part of being human and living in a fallen world.

Second, the Bible teaches that some suffer due to the consequences of their actions. Our sinful behaviors can impact our physical health in addition to our spiritual condition. Like Psalm 107:17 says, Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered afflictions because of their iniquities.

Third, Scripture teaches we sometimes suffer because of God’s name. For example, the apostle Paul’s call to service included the phrase, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name (Acts 10:9-16).

God does not allow pain in our lives without reason. He also doesn’t leave us without hope or His presence. The question is not Why? but How? How can we live with the sufferings of this life?

This study will help you learn more about the issue of suffering from both a biblical and practical perspective. We look forward to how this study will help you both better understand your own Christian faith and how it will help you in sharing your faith with others. Through it, we hope you will be better able to contend for the faith (Jude 3) as well as to show Christ’s love to those in need.

This study guide was created to use with our videos available as M4Vs or DVDs at: https://www.jashow.org/resources/how-can-god-help-you-face-chronic-pain-disability-and-illness.html. We have also