Each of us faces hard seasons when our faith is being strengthened like never before, and while the Bible should be our primary source of comfort and encouragement, reading books that nourish our faith and understanding of difficult seasons is also helpful.
Here are some books that have encouraged my faith during some challenging seasons in my life.
5 Books for Hard Seasons:
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23
Phillip Keller
I read this book during a scary, challenging time in my life, and walking through Psalm 23 from the perspective of a wise, caring shepherd comforted me and helped me see God’s tender care for me, even in the scary seasons of life.
Shattered Dreams: God’s Unexpected Path to Joy
Larry Crabb
This book is on the life of Naomi, and I was drawn into it by the way Dr. Crabb doesn’t shy away from asking the hard questions we all ask of God but would never admit to asking. If you’re in a season of major life disappointments and feel yourself heading towards bitterness, this is the book for you.
Trusting God
Jerry Bridges
Jerry Bridges is one of my favorite authors because he explains deep theological truths in such an easy-to-understand way. He wrote this book as the result of his own personal study of God’s love and sovereignty and also from his own painful experiences in life.
The Source of My Strength
Charles Stanley
I’ve shared this book before but it’s so encouraging that I have to share it again! Dr. Stanley shares stories from his life of his own times of pain and how God proved to be his strength during those dark times in his life. He covers topics like loneliness, abuse, fear, burn-out, and more. It’s one I’ve gone back to for repeat encouragement in certain areas when needed.
Knowing God
J.I. Packer
I don’t even have to tell you about this book because it’s a classic, but the reason I’m sharing it in this post is that one of the primary reasons God allows us to go through difficult seasons in the first place is so that we come to know Him and to understand His character on a deeper level. This book will help you with both of those things.
What books have helped you in hard seasons? I’m always on the lookout for a good book, so please leave a comment below and share!
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Hi! I'm Abigail, your real-talk Christian life coach and faith mentor. I believe we're on this earth for a reason, and I LOVE helping people realize and live that truth so that they can reach their God-given potential in all areas of life.
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