Cover Image: Suffering Is Never for Nothing

Suffering Is Never for Nothing

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Elizabeth Elliot has a way of sharing from the depths of her heart to the reader's heart. Her journey of walking with God in the midst of sorrow and grief. This book will strengthen your faith and help those who are suffering presently feel seen.

This small book is a serious gem that will be referenced throughout my life.

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I'm looking forward to reading this more in depth. I'm thrilled to have "new" bits of wisdom from Elisabeth to immerse myself in!

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Suffering Is Never for Nothing shines as yet another one of Elisabeth Elliot's gems. She writes from experience - both her experience as a human being in relationship to her Heavenly Father and also from her experience of the Word of God. The former always is put to the test against the latter. Solid, biblical, heartfelt, with true encouragement to those who are downcast or suffering, Elliot's words are clear and no-nonsense yet so sensitive. Highly recommended.

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Elisabeth Elliot is a treasure. I have read many of her books,NWES an avid listener to her radio program, “Gateway to Joy,” and even met her on two occasions where she was speaking. She was truly one of my spiritual mentors.

This book is transcribed from her talks on the subject of suffering. I could almost hear her voice as I was reading.

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It is always a worthwhile endeavor to spend time reading anything Elisabeth Elliot has to say. She has an uncanny knack for writing truth in a beautiful and relatable way. Knowing her story, and how her husband was martyred, makes her thoughts on suffering real, and applicable to anyone. This book is based on a series she taught, and would certainly be worth a listen if you can get your hands on it. Never lacking in wisdom and forthrightness, this book would be a wonderful gift for anyone experiencing suffering in their life, or for those who minister to those who are suffering. What a wonderful resource to have along with the Word of God, in fortifying our Spirit when times are tough.

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I was delighted to learn that a new book by Elisabeth Elliot had been published! Elisabeth is someone who faced various hard trials in her life, and through it all she remained faithful to God, trusted in Him, and worked faithfully to simply do the next thing. I have much to learn from this woman of God who has gone before me.

Suffering Is Never for Nothing is based on a speaking series Elisabeth Elliot gave many years ago. The words in the book were taken directly from the transcript of her speaking series. It was delightful to read this book and to “hear” Elisabeth Elliot’s voice again. She shares, as she always did, in her straightforward, no-nonsense way.

This is an encouraging book for the believer who is trying to make sense of the very hard suffering in life, and it is also beneficial for the believer who is looking for help as they face everyday challenges. If you are searching for hope in your suffering today, I pray that Elisabeth Elliot’s words in this book will be an encouragement to you.

One of my favorite quotes from this book:
“I cannot say to you, I know exactly what you’re going through. But I can say that I know the One who knows. And I’ve come to see that it’s through the deepest suffering that God has taught me the deepest lessons. And if we’ll trust Him for it, we can come through to the unshakable assurance that He’s in charge. He has a loving purpose. And He can transform something terrible into something wonderful. Suffering is never for nothing.”

This is a short book, with only six chapters, but it is a gem of a book! You will be challenged and encouraged in your faith. I highly recommend it.

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Most of us know her, a wise older women with twinkles in her eye and a never ending supply of tea and cookies. She, who looks you in the eye and asks one simple question and all of a sudden you’re telling her your life’s struggles while she listens and rocks her chair. When you fall silent, she doesn’t have any answers really, but instead she tells some of her own stories. She tells of her life and her suffering, and then tells you how she copes and holds unto faith while handing you another cookie.

This is exactly what this book is. A conversation between you and a very, very wise woman named Elisabeth Elliot, who has suffered so much. She tells you to just do the next thing. To keep rejoicing. She doesn’t give answers for the why’s, but she gives answers to the how’s. How to cope dat by day, how to keep faith in an Almighty God, and how to give your suffering to God. The answers aren’t easy but they are very worthwhile.

It is a fast read with 120 pages, so it makes for a perfect gift or an afternoon read. I recommend to have tea and cookies for the full experience. Thank goodness, I don’t think most people can bear to wrestle through 500 pages to find some lifesavers. This book is easy to read with a ton of wisdom packed in every chapter.

And even though I read the e-arc, I’m pretty sure the book will visually be stunning too, which is always nice since we usually like to give nice looking gifts lol!

Also, the reason I call this a conversation is because it very clearly is! This book is derived from a series of talks, and it reads like that. Nothing wrong with the concept of course, but it isn’t as streamlined as a normal book would be, as conversation tends to sometimes get a little sidetracked. I really liked that aspect because it feels real, but I just wanted to point it out because knowing in advance will help create the right mindset.

I’ve been given an a-erc through Netgalley, for which I’m really grateful!

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I have admired Elisabeth and Jim Elliott since I was about twelve years old. Their testimonies continue to affect lives many years after Jim's death. If you know anything about Elisabeth, you know that if anyone has a right to talk about suffering, it is her.

I have never suffered like Elisabeth, but I have had struggles. I know you have, too. In this book, she defines suffering as "anything you want that you don't have, or anything you have that you don't want." That covers a pretty broad range of life events.

Elisabeth never once points out that she has suffered more than many of the people who will read her words. She never takes on an attitude about what a hard life she has had. She points out that while she has suffered, others have suffered more, or differently than she has. Everyone has suffering of different levels and for different lengths of time.

The point of the book is that whatever we suffer, God has a purpose. He is not cruel or unfeeling. In fact, He endured the worst suffering of all as He watched His Son die on the cross (with more suffering than we can imagine) for us. All of our suffering brings us back to the crux of the matter--that He suffered so that one day we will never suffer again. He longs for us to come to Him in our suffering and rely on His strength.

There was so much encouragement in the pages of this book. It is full of examples and stories, and I marked several verses in my Bible as I read. If you've ever had anything in life that didn't happen like you wanted it to, this book is for you. There is peace in the worst situations, but there is also peace in those little sufferings that we're almost ashamed to admit we go through. This is one you're going to want to read with your Bible and highlighter nearby.

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Adapted from a set of teaching tapes Elliot had recorded, Suffering is Never for Nothing condenses a deep topic into a rather small amount of pages. But those pages speak volumes.

Elliot has a gift for distilling deep spiritual truth into everyday language and experience. One of my favorite quotes from this book was, "The purest gold comes out of the hottest fires." Do you want God to purify you, to make you the highest quality gold? That will come from only the highest temperatures that are forged in the fires of suffering and pain.

One cannot look at Elliot and say she does not understand for she has walked through more valleys than most. And the lessons she learned are like gold shared with other believers. She shared about hearing a missionary speak at a chapel service while attending Wheaton College. One phrase stood out from the speaker: "If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it may be because pieces will feed a multitude when a loaf would satisfy only a little boy."

I have to say I had never quite viewed the miracle of feeding the 5000 quite in that light. But it certainly makes one ponder whether they want to stay "whole" and feed only themselves or be "broken" and feed a multitude. To let the brokenness God allows in our life to provide encouragement and nourishment to others.

Elliot discusses four areas of going through suffering. The first requires acceptance; realizing that anything God has allowed in our life is intended to purify us. It may be an area where we didn't realize we needed pruning, but God does. Elliot talks secondly about the importance of gratitude. Not for the trial itself--no, she doesn't expect someone to thank God for cancer. But rather to thank Him for using whatever circumstances necessary to refine and draw one closer to Him. To be grateful for the good He can bring from tragedy or suffering. To recognize that God is good regardless of how things may appear.

Once the believer is able to express gratitude, they can then offer the experience back to God as a gift of worship. Those broken pieces are the makings of an offering given back to God after which He can take those pieces and finally bring about transfiguration in the believer's life.

I recommend this book for any believer: new or old, no matter how much one is suffering. Elliot masterfully offers an eternal persective on our suffering and helps guide the readers to find the treasure and strengthening of faith that can only come about through suffering. Readers will feel as though they have chatted with a wise and dear friend after reading this book. And they will be given fresh courage to face the fires that God will use to refine us into pure gold.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Suffering is Never for Nothing from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

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Jennifer Lyell has done readers a great service. She has taken a collection of CDs, recordings of Elisabeth Elliot speaking at conference, edited the talks, and published the content as a book. As anyone who knows of Elliot or has read her prior work knows, anything she writes is worth reading. This is no less true of this posthumous book, Suffering Is Never for Nothing.



Elliot is no stranger to suffering. She lost her first husband, Jim Elliot, when he was murdered along with several other missionaries by members of a tribe they were trying to evangelize. She lost her second husband to cancer. But throughout her life, her writing and public ministry demonstrated a faithfulness and joy that could rejoice in suffering.



She defines suffering like this: "Suffering is having what you don't want or wanting what you don't have." It sounds almost too simple. But either way, she writes that "there are a good many things in this life that really can't do anything about, but that God wants us to do something with." She continues, "The deepest things that I have learned in my own life have come from the deepest suffering."



We can start by living life with gratitude. Elliot has lived her life with gratitude, and looked toward her own transfiguration. God works in us redemptively to shape us into his image. "God calls us to stand alongside Him, to offer our sufferings to Him for His transfiguration and to fill up in our poor human flesh." Amen, sister.





Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

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Her first husband was killed by Auca Indians in Ecuador. Her second husband, Addison Leitch died of cancer three and a half years after she remarried. Not only that, she has to endure the cruel jokes about her being a jinx when it comes to marriage. Life is hard. Through her life, she has heard stories of other missionaries who were martyred for their faith. These stories include a five-year-old girl physically abused; those paralyzed after and accident; natural disasters; etc. Such pain illustrate the puzzle of suffering. How do we understand the meaning of suffering? With great empathy and wisdom, author Elisabeth Elliot gives six lectures that share her journey and learning about the complex issue of suffering. Is there every a meaning for suffering? Here is where Elliot treads sensitively and compassionately. Having been through the paths of anguish and grief, she knows exactly how not to belittle the pain of suffering. Saying there is a precise "meaning" would question the ethics and morals of a Divine God. Avoiding it would pooh-pooh the reality of suffering. So Elliot plumps for the learning perspective. What could we learn out of the lesson of suffering? Is suffering ever that meaningless? Even Job Himself learned something through his personal trials.


First given as a series of six talks with the title of the same name as this book, the publisher has since released this in book form. The author passed away on June 15th, 2015 but her books continue to impact many young lives. With a foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada, and a beautiful preface honouring the life of the author, this book acknowledges both the powerful teachings of this late author-missionary-teacher as well as an exemplary Christian wearing an unshakable faith. It is easy for many of us to say that "Suffering is not easy." For Elliot who has known what it means to walk through fire and swim through storms, she comes forth as a trusted guide and compassionate pilgrim. After sharing her own journey of pain through the "Terrible Truth," she is convinced that while there are many things we cannot do anything about, God wants us to be able to do something about it. It is one thing to suffer, yet another to do something about it. Plus, we learn things far more profound through the crucible of suffering than any other ways. Not that we want to suffer for whatever reason, to be able to lift ourselves up from the cloud of gloom and to see with eyes of hope is what faith is all about. Suffering is never for nothing, as long as we learn to live with it and with Christ besides us. One might even venture to say that the reason why Elliot has become such a formidable testimony and teacher for Christ is precisely this very reason: She suffered and she learned to live with the scars that came with it. On top of her personal losses, her other scars include the murder of her trusted translator while in Ecuador and the theological problem of trusting God when it hurts. Perhaps, a key lesson when dealing with suffering is to simply shut up and submit to the sovereignty of God. This means "Acceptance" of what happened and the journey of carrying the cross. Suffering is not explained but affirmed. This means that while there are mysteries surrounding this complex matter, there is that gentle nudge to ask us to stop questioning but to trust and accept. In fact, people who ask why about suffering posits the existence of a Moral and Divine Being.


Elliot shares lots of wisdom from authors who had perceived suffering in profound ways. Amy Carmichael exhorts her: "But not of us this strength, O Lord, and not of us this constancy. Our trust is Thine eternal Word, Thy presence our security." CS Lewis famously writes: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His mehaphone to rouse a deaf world."Richard Baxter's comforting thought: "Christ leads me through no darker rooms than He went through before." Elliot writes her own poems of trust too. She exuberates acceptance, honesty, gratitude, and trust. In sharing her journey personally, she invites us to walk with God in our own personal ways.

My Thoughts
First, Elisabeth Elliot helps us counter the prevailing cultural thinking of the day. She compares the modern with the past: "An ancient man thought of goodness in moral terms. Modern man equates good with happiness. If it ain’t fun, it ain’t good." Some may accuse her of being a killjoy. I prefer to call it an orientation toward true joy, which is Christ. Suffering does takes away the fun but it also sharpens our awareness about our mortality. Our time on earth is limited. We are imperfect. We need to see life beyond our comforts and self-absorbed concerns. Life is not about fun. It is about learning to live life to the full. Life is not a problem that requires fixing. What if we run out of solutions? Would that make us failures? Neither is life a form of nihilism which makes us sadists and stoic philosophers. It is essentially about learning to live with what life throws at us. There is a time for acceptance and a time for resolution. With a presupposition that suffering has a lesson for us to learn, we would live forward more constructively.

Second, I like the way Elliot chooses "transfiguration" instead of transformation. By implying a type of glory that comes with transfiguration, we are reminded that one day, we who are in Christ will be glorified together with Him. There is joy. There is everlasting glory that brings about joy unspeakable. She goes back to the Cross and shows us that it is there that our salvation stories happen. Such is a paradox of denying ourselves in order to find ourselves; to take up the cross and not to avoid it; and to follow Christ even when the world around us despise Him and all who follow after Him.

Finally, see this book as Elliot's exhortation to put ourselves in our proper place. Suffering is real and we need to deal with it. There is often a message behind sufferings and it would be best if we learn from it. This might be tough but as long as we maintain a readiness to learn, the lessons will be clear. This does not necessarily mean an explanation to the very meaning of suffering, but the necessary responses we could have toward it, even when we don't have all the answers. Acceptance might very well be the sanest and most practical way to deal with this complex matter. The rest of the attitudes would enable us to grow in acceptance, gratitude, and trust. Above all, knowing that we are never alone in the journey of suffering brings tremendous comfort.

Elisabeth Elliot was one of the most influential Bible teachers in this era. She has been a missionary to Ecuador and a mentor to many through the journey of pain and suffering. Her most popular works include "Through Gates of Splendor," "Shadow of the Almighty," "Let Me Be a Woman," and "No Graven Image."

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

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What a treat to have a new Elisabeth Elliot book to read! I had the pleasure of hearing her speak on a few occasions, and since this book was adapted from a set of audio CDs she recorded on the topic of suffering, I could very much hear her voice in my head as I read. There is a reason she remains one of my all-time favorite authors, and it's because of her clearheaded, unmuddled style of presenting scriptural truth. I can always find a hundred books that let me wallow in my feelings, but few authors today seem willing to tell us the hard truths about suffering, about taking up our own "cross" and denying ourselves. I especially like hearing all this from someone who has lived through so much suffering yet refuses to give pat answers to these great, complex questions about our faith and how it is worked out in everyday life. This book is classic Elisabeth Elliot (very "Elisabethan," as Joni Eareckson Tada so beautifully puts it in the Foreword), and I am so pleased to have all these thoughts collected in one book. This is a volume I'll be sharing with friends who are suffering—and tucking away for the next time I need to be reminded of these truths myself.

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Okay, this. was. SO. good! One of the best books I've read this year... and I've read a lot of good books this year. Elisabeth Elliot shares such profound, basic truths on such difficult topics with amazing simplicity and eloquence. I needed that. I needed this grounding truth in the midst of so much confusion. Even the questions and struggles Mrs. Elliot shared were so helpful because of how relatable they were. I thought I was the only one! But if this amazing woman of faith struggled with them too, then maybe I should stop doubting myself and just focus on God.

I want to share so many quotes here, but I think I highlighted about 50% of the book, sooo... it's too hard to choose. Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend this to... well, everyone.

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Elisabeth Elliot is most definitely a woman after God's own heart. She is someone that the Lord has used greatly in many young people's lives, including my own. The book, "Suffering is Never for Nothing", is based on a talk Ms. Elliot gave. I found this book to be incredibly helpful, as I face suffering in my own life. Even though we may not understand our suffering, we need to know this one thing: Our suffering is never for nothing. God will always use suffering for His glory, and to lead us into His everlasting arms. He will teach us through our sufferings and help me [us] to dive deeper in our relationship with Him through our times of suffering.

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When I’m walking through a dark valley of suffering, I want to hear from someone who has been down that path and has come through to the other side. Elisabeth Elliot is such a guide. This book is full of faith and hope and grit and real emotion. She doesn’t offer glib truths or easy words. She recognizes the very real pain we experience and points us to the one who gives it purpose and meaning.
I found her example of offering up her emotions to the Lord to be very compelling. “I put my feelings on God’s altar. I can’t handle a lot of my emotions. And so I just say, ‘Lord, here it is. You take it and You make something out of it if You can….'” (location 1009).
I was encouraged and challenged by this book. While I am not eager to experience suffering, she reminds me that God has great purposes in it, that He will be with me through it, and that He gives grace to endure to those who trust Him. This is a book I will return to again and again.
Thank you to B&H Publishing Group for providing me with an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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I have always been interested in the Elliots. Elisabeth and her first husband, Jim, we’re missionaries to a Indian tribe in Ecuador. Jim was killed and Elisabeth stayed for longer. Elisabeth Elliot is a very interesting woman and to read her word was very inspirational. I loved the versus she included and highlights several different passages. I will be reading this book again.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

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Elliot never disappoints! Her life and her experiences give her words weight. This book is a good reminder when you are suffering and that there is hope even in that.

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The chapters of this book are transcribed from a series of teaching sessions that Elizabeth Elliot did many years ago. These sessions had never been published before this book. I am very grateful that they have now been published so that all of us have access to this wonderful teaching. It’s almost as if I could hear the author’s voice as I read the pages.

This is how I ended up reading this book: As if I were there while Mrs. Elliot was teaching and I was taking notes in the class. I highlighted so many thoughts on these pages. This is a warm, compassionate message from one who went through much suffering of her own. She continually takes us back to the throne of God and His Word on every page. Her message is one of hope in sorrow and comfort in that our “suffering is never for nothing”. I know I’ll be going back to this book time and again through the years. I know she is in heaven praising the Savior now, and I’m ever so grateful for her wii and wisdom conveyed to us in this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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Elisabeth Elliot is no stranger to suffering. In a book that is rich with her story, she writes of suffering as an "irreplaceable medium through which I learned an indispensable truth". This indispensable truth—that the Bible's answers are never to be separated from the God of the Bible—is one that weaves its way all through Elliot's pages as she shares with us many chapters of her journey in the obedience of faith. Her writing is both deeply moving and practically instructive. Elliot knows her Bible, but better still, she knew the character of God himself; and in his love for her, she rested in grace, knowing that she was held safe in his hands.
Suffering is Never for Nothing is greatly encouraging, but also doctrinally helpful as it points to the God who suffered and is with us in our suffering. Suitable for everyone.

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Elisabeth Elliot. The story of her life has always fascinated me. When I saw she had written "Suffering is Never for Nothing", I had to read it. I thought, if anyone can speak of suffering and give Godly wisdom on how to suffer well, it is this woman.

As you may or may not know, Elisabeth Elliot's first husband was Jim Elliot. Jim and four other missionary men were murdered by the Auca Indians, whom they were trying to reach with the Gospel. Elisabeth and her young daughter Valerie continued to live with and minister to the Aucas. Later, Elisabeth remarried. She then lost her second husband to cancer. She uses these pivotal life experiences to connect with others and share that God will bring good from our suffering.

"Suffering is Never for Nothing" is a book written from Elliot's lectures at a conference years ago. Elliot begins by defining suffering as, "having what you don't want, or wanting what you don't have". She acknowledges that all people suffer, whether in seemingly great ways or small. She encourages that God is sovereign in all things, and He can be trusted at all times.

I love this paragraph, which speaks of God's goodness:
"But when we’re talking about the gifts of God, we’re talking about gifts that come from One who knows exactly what we need even though it is not necessarily to our tastes and preferences. And He gives us everything that is appropriate to the job that He wants us to do. And so, understanding that, then we can say yes, Lord. I’ll take it. It would not have been my choice but knowing You love me, I will receive it and I understand that someday I’m going to understand the necessity for this thing. So I accept it. And then I can even go the step beyond and say thank You. Thank You, Lord. "

"Suffering is Never for Nothing" is a book I would recommend to all. Whether our suffering is great or small, it is good to be reminded of God's hand at work through all of it and to praise Him for it.

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