Christ and Calamity: Grace and Gratitude in the Darkest Valley

In Times of Turmoil, Seek the Prince of Peace

Lord, do you not care if we perish?

That’s what the frightened disciples shouted to Jesus as he slept in the stern of a storm-tossed boat. In the midst of suffering and uncertainty, we’re all prone to think that God has forgotten us, he doesn’t care, or he’s powerless to do anything.

In Christ and Calamity, Harold L. Senkbeil speaks pastorally to our suffering and uncertainty. Senkbeil shows God’s constant and faithful grace to us. Calamities come in many different sizes, and God addresses them all in his word and by his Spirit. Even when we don’t see or feel it, God is always faithful.

“If I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (Ps 139:9–10).

The disciples’ faith in the midst of the storm may have been weak, but Jesus was mighty to save. And he will save you, too. No matter how small your faith, you can count on him to hear your anguished cry and to answer..

184 pages

The ‘Great Exchange’—my rags for Christ’s righteousness—is not just a doctrine. Nor is it just an experience in the past. It’s the objective truth. And Harold Senkbeil doesn’t just tell us this truth again, but applies the salve to our anxious hearts. This book is a gem!

—Michael Horton, professor at Westminster Seminary California, author of The Christian Faith

This is a book to read and to read again whenever we need it, a book to give away to people who are hurting. This book will be a classic.

—Gene Edward Veith, provost emeritus of Patrick Henry College, author of The Spirituality of the Cross

As we live out our lives in this broken world, we are never far from pain, never far from calamity. Each of us passes through the dark valley not one time, but again and again. The Christian tradition has many trustworthy guides for those difficult times, and I'm glad to commend Christ and Calamity as another that will serve God's people as we endure this calamity, or that one, or the inevitable ones to come.

—Tim Challies