
About the Book
Book: DRAW NEAR: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings Author: Hadassah Treu Genre: Christian Non-Fiction Release date: March 15, 2024Can something so painful, even tragic, actually be God’s way of blessing?
As believers, we generally expect good things to happen in our lives. We expect a blessing upon blessing because we love God and He loves us and we form an expectation of prosperity (relational, emotional, and physical). And when the tragedy strikes and we enter a season of unwanted changes and suffering, we are shocked, angry, disappointed, and confused. We start doubting God’s love and His good intentions and plans. We begin questioning His ways and methods. We don’t understand. It is difficult to reconcile the pain we feel with what we know about God. This encouraging book aims to help you not only identify and accept specific losses but to realize that painful experiences could be the birthplace of blessings. We lose something, but there is more to gain.
What is God using your pain for?
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author

More from Hadassah
Why me? Why this? Why now? How am I going to heal from this pain? Where are you, Lord? These are the questions I often asked when I stayed awake in the night, with tears burning down my cheeks. I needed a new perspective, a deeper understanding, and the assurance of God’s love and good plans in my painful experiences. I longed for comfort and hope, and help to fix my eyes on the divine transformation going on in my heart. Do you face the same struggles? We all do. We all need a biblical perspective and a new look at suffering to help us reconcile our painful experiences with what we know about God. Suffering remains a mystery and there is no simple theological answer to it. But what is our role? What are we supposed to think and do when we go through undeserved and unexpected pain and trauma? The first and most important is to learn to see our dark moments as new chances and opportunities to draw near to God. We can choose to take off the glasses of loss and replace them with the lenses of God’s love, biblical truths, and thankfulness. Then our outlook will change and we will see more of the bigger picture. We can choose to live with open minds, believing God’s Word, with hands raised in prayer. We can commit to putting every effort into finding the balance between the reality we live in and the reality in which we live with God. It is in this balance of our reality and God’s reality that we find peace instead of fear, rest instead of anxiety, and wholeness instead of destruction. Our painful experiences are glorious opportunities to draw near to God, to bond with Him, and to enjoy intimacy and fellowship with Him amidst the pain. This is the most important thing we can do in our lives because everything else results from bonding and connection. A loving connection with God births maturity, growth, transformation, and eternal blessings. Besides that, suffering is a privilege and a possibility to take part in our Lord’s sufferings and to know the power of His resurrection. When we choose to listen and draw near to God in our pains, something miraculous will happen. God’s Spirit will birth blessings and precious gifts out of the pain. Are you ready to unpack them?Blog Stops
- Why do you think the topic of your book is important?
The topic of my book “Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings” is interpreting our suffering biblically. This way, we can change our perspective and see our painful experiences as surprising gifts of grace designed to mature and prepare us and draw us closer to God.
The topic is very important because as believers we face inexplicable suffering, pain and losses, that can lead to a faith crisis, especially if we don’t have the right theology of suffering.
As believers, we normally expect good things to happen in our lives. We expect a blessing upon blessing because we love God and He loves us and we form an expectation of prosperity (relational, emotional, and physical). And when the tragedy strikes and we enter a season of unwanted changes and suffering, we are shocked, angry, disappointed, and confused. We doubt God’s love and His good intentions and plans. We question His ways and methods. We don’t understand. It is difficult to reconcile the pain we feel with what we know about God.
The biggest struggle is to feel compelled to pull away from Jesus exactly when we need Him most. This is also the biggest danger that could lead to allowing suffering to damage our view of God and our relationship with Him.
That’s why the book topic is so important because we need to interpret right our suffering and move towards God and not away in the time we need Him most.
- Why do you think this topic is needed?
This topic is not only important, it is much needed. Believers who suffer need to find courage, strength, comfort and, most of all, hope.
The common identifier of all painful experiences is some kind of loss. The book aims to help the readers not only to identify and accept the specific losses but more importantly to show them that each painful experience could be a birthing place of specific gains, benefits, and blessings. We lose something, but there is more to gain. The book will enable the reader to turn her attention and “see” the specific gains that God buried into every loss and to take hold of them.
The topic is needed because believers who have experienced pain and trauma need to:
- Increase their ability to trust God amidst painful and traumatic experiences.
- Draw near to God when they are tempted to pull away.
- Recognize they are not punished by their painful experiences but blessed in Christ to give birth to their true selves, and God’s unique purposes and callings in their life.
- Make peace with a painful past or present and start living a life with a mission.
- Transform the story of their painful experiences into a story of preparation, empowerment, fruitfulness, and growth.
- Find comfort and strength by embracing surrender instead of control.
And this is how my book “Draw Near” will help them.
3.What is your favorite hymn and why?
I have many favorite worship songs, which I usually connect to certain periods of my life, marked by a specific struggle or suffering. Some of these songs were my war songs, others helped me to express and process complex emotions and thoughts, so I can move forward in my journey of healing and freedom.
Here are my all-time favourites:
“Hoshianna” by Joshua Aaron, based on Psalm 27:1 (“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid”) This was my battle verse and song for years when I struggled with anxiety and panic attacks.
“The Spirit and the Bride” again by Joshua Aaron. This worship song reflects my deepest longings for Christ’s coming, the renewal of all things and knowing Him fully.
- What is your favorite verse and why?
As with the songs, I have a lot of life verses. It is nearly impossible to pick just one.
Lately, this is the verse I have often on repeat in my mind:
“My flesh and my heart may fail, BUT God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)
The more I live, the more I experience the limitations, failures, and weaknesses of my flesh and heart. Sometimes, the emotional and even physical pain is too much to bear. The wounds are deep; the struggles are relentless. Then, I need the powerful reminder of this verse so I can shift my perspective and draw strength and hope from the Lord. He is my portion forever. Everything may fail, but He remains always with me as my greatest treasure and reward.
- Outside of the Bible, what is the one book or author that has had the biggest influence on you?
The one book that has made the biggest influence on me outside the Bible is “Boundaries: when to say yes, how to say no to take control of your life” by Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend.
I read it in the most intense spiritual formation period of my life, when I struggled with infertility, marital problems, anxiety disorder, panic attacks and unprocessed traumas from my past. The book influenced my thinking deeply and helped me to process issues and make necessary changes in my life that led to healing and freedom. Even today, I use it as a reference book and come back to it, when I need.
Blog Stops
Inspired by Fiction, October 3
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 4
Fiction Book Lover, October 5 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, October 5
Texas Book-aholic, October 6
A Reader’s Brain, October 7 (Author Interview)
Life on Chickadee Lane, October 8
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 9
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 10
Back Porch Reads, October 11 (Author Interview)
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, October 11
Cover Lover Book Review, October 12
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 13
Stories By Gina, October 14 (Author Interview)
She Lives To Read, October 15
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, October 16 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Hadassah is giving away the grand prize of a $30 Amazon card and copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.