A Small Book for the Hurting Heart

First sentence: Loss comes in many forms: loss through the death of a spouse, child, or other loved one; loss of relationships through conflict, betrayal, estrangement, divorce, or a move across the country; loss of financial security due to business failure, foreclosure, or long-term unemployment; loss of health or personal dreams because of disability or terminal illness. And the list goes on. Whatever your grief, whatever your pain, whatever your loss, there is comfort available.

A Small Book for the Hurting Heart is a fifty-day devotional for men and women. Each entry is rooted deeply in gospel truths and saturated with Scriptural promises. Each entry is short, concise, a bit no-nonsense. What your heart needs--what any heart needs--is to better know who God is and to better trust His word to us.

I read this one in one sitting. I wasn't supposed to. The author urges his readers to read one per day. To take their time. To let the ministering words have their effect. But I was wearing my book reviewer hat. I didn't have fifty days to slowly absorb with biblical truths. I instead immersed myself in the book. While his approach may be preferred for most readers, I don't know if there's a wrong way to read it. What did I appreciate most about this one? I loved the scripture-saturation. I love, love, love, LOVE the Bible. The Bible is my meat-and-drink. It is where I come to feast. I suppose you could say without a doubt I am a Bible glutton. I don't come sporadically to the table; I come many, many, many times a day. I don't just want a tiny bit here and there. I want MORE, MORE, MORE. So I appreciated his use of Scripture throughout. I thought the book covers the basics well. I could see this one being of benefit to those who are new to Scripture and don't know where to turn in the midst of their pain and grief.

“Tears are a gift from God, a means to embracing your pain, releasing emotion, and revealing the depth of your love. Poetically, if God collects all the tears you cry during your life’s journey, if he keeps track of all your sorrows, then surely he cares about them. He is aware of what causes them. God records them all in his book!”

“Life hurts, but God heals. He heals through Jesus. Because of Jesus’s suffering, you can be assured there is no grief or loss you experience that is outside his understanding or compassion. There is nothing beyond his redemption.”

“In the Son of God, you have one who is more than qualified to comfort you in the burdens you now bear and the tears you now shed, since he is well acquainted with grief. Though he suffered unimaginable loss, he triumphed in the end. Because of Jesus’s resurrection from the grave, and ascension into heaven, you can have confident hope that all your hurts will one day be healed in heaven. As you think about that future day when God “will wipe away every tear” from your eyes (Revelation 21:4), remember that Jesus is now at the right hand of God praying for us (Romans 8:34).”

“Grief can lead to worship, if we recognize God’s hand in it. If we allow our grief to focus exclusively on our loss, we might be tempted to try to go it alone—even without help from God. But when grief is embraced by faith, it results in the humility of worship. Worship can and should coexist alongside grief. In fact, grief that does not worship will eventually become self-destructive.”

“We persevere through the valleys of sorrow and pain by strengthening the grip of our faith on the immovable mountain of God. Since Jesus is a sympathetic high priest, “all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20).“

In A Small Book for the Hurting Heart, I have finally found the comfort and strength that I have been searching for in numerous books dealing with grief and loss. In the past two years I have lost my youngest son and Mother so I am well aware of grief and loss and how it impacts our lives physically and emotionally and how hard it is to get through each day. What I love about this book is it is a Bible based daily devotional that draws on people and scripture from both the Old and New Testament. David, Job, Joseph, are just a few that the author used to show how through prayer, Faith, and the promises of GOD, we have comfort for the present and hope for the future. GOD is always near. Each day the author has also filled with scripture and suggestions , for example, reading a certain psalm or journaling in answer to a thought provoking question. I will re-read this daily and and also p!an on purchasing copies for gifts. A definite five star plus read. Thank you Paul Tautges!

Emotions can go wrong in times of grief. It is the same with anxiety too. With loss comes unwelcome changes and also the feeling that life is unpredictable and unsafe. These feelings and emotions breed anxiety.

Our hearts are easily prone to wonder with grief and loss. A loss of a loved one, a job, and even a change of season. I consider my children leaving home a type of loss that has taken me awhile to recover. Whatever loss you experience, the hurting heart needs encouragement and reminders of who God is and how how our grief is a sanctification process of faith. Our grief can bring us inward where selfishness and isolation take over however, our grief can actually show the glory of God when we bring our grief to God. It is a long process but it is worth the journey. It can be a 40 year old wandering in the desert but it also can teach us dependence on the Lord. These are the very reasons why this book is helpful. It will get you out from the stinky thinking to praise and worship. To ultimately where you can share with others and give encouragement.

I've experienced some great losses recently and I appreciate books like this to give me comfort,.. The format of daily devotionals is good..

A fifty-day devotional deeply rooted in Scripture.

Author Paul Tautges presents a powerhouse of Scriptures related to loss, grief, and healing. A Small Book for the Hurting Heart presents topics to comfort a reader in the midst of suffering. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, By His Words We are Healed, Jesus Wept and Got Angry, and Joy is Coming walk the reader from consolation to hope.

Each few-page devotional opens with a Scripture then expounds on the idea with more supporting Scripture. Most chapters close with a call-to-action or suggestion of additional Scripture to reference. The chapters are best savored one per day

This book differs from a ‘typical’ devotional in the sense that it has an almost-academic slant and is not simply the author’s narrative. At times it felt like a Bible study and tackled some difficult theological concepts.

How this book affected me:
I personally found some of the scripture-hopping to be a little confusing or difficult to follow. Admittedly, I’m far from a biblical expert and I need a lot of help translating it. But I can see that someone who is used to being in the Word would find it easier to follow.

Who would enjoy this book:
A Small Book for the Hurting Heart is written for the hurting and grieving. With the heavy biblical focus, readers who are familiar with and comfortable reading and understanding the Bible would be the best fit.

Our Christian Book Reviews:
The book reviews at Finding God Among Us focus on Christian books - adult and children, fiction and nonfiction. We're proud to be included in the Top 50 Christian Book Review Bloggers. I chose to read an ARC from New Growth Press. This review is my honest opinion.

A good read for any going through any form of loss whether bereavement or loss of job. Perfect companion for the time we are currently living in.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.