James 1:2 instructs us to “rejoice my beloved brethren when you encounter various trials…” Trials, pain, grief, loss, disease, and persecution are all guaranteed for believers in this life. In his brief book, Christ and Calamity, Harold L. Senkbeil addresses a biblical understanding, attitude, and response to calamity when it touches our lives. He brings decades of pastoral experience to this work, which is evident from the shepherd’s heart within its pages. As he states, “Christ and calamity go together. As Jesus said: ‘in this world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). When calamity strikes, you need Jesus.”
Senkbeil begins each chapter with a verse of Scripture which becomes the theme of each chapter, and he reminds us that in our weak faith, Christ is utterly faithful, and that we need to look to Him as our initial and constant source of comfort and strength. Included at the end of the book are prayers to be used individually or in a Bible study or group. This is an encouraging and essential read for anyone going through calamity themselves, and as a resource that can be used to aid and counsel others in victoriously enduring the inevitable trials that of life. I strongly recommend it.
—Jon Scott, Jr. High Ministry, Foundation