Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
Week 7: Chapter 6 — Trusting God in Adversity
Read Chapter 6 of Trusting God. Key passages: Romans 5:3–5; James 1:2–4; 2 Corinthians 4:17.
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The theological foundations have been laid — now Bridges begins the pastoral application, asking what it actually looks like to trust God when adversity is not theoretical but personal and present.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Bridges makes a significant move in this chapter: he says that trusting God in adversity is not the same as pretending pain doesn't exist or forcing yourself to feel positive. How does he define genuine trust, and how is it different from stoic denial or forced positivity?
2.Romans 5:3–5 says we can 'rejoice in our sufferings' because they produce endurance, character, and hope. James 1:2–4 similarly calls for joy in trials. Bridges knows these texts can sound tone-deaf to someone in real pain. How does he handle the tension between the Bible's call to joy and the reality of genuine grief?
3.Bridges draws a distinction between experiencing the emotions of pain (grief, fear, anger) and responding to pain through distrust and bitterness. How do we hold genuine emotional honesty and genuine trust together? Is that something you have seen modeled well?
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