God Does His Best Work with Empty

June 22, 2020
Guthrie (Holding On to Hope), host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast, explores in this touching work the pain but also hope within feelings and thoughts of emptiness. After the deaths of her two children, each during infancy, due to a rare genetic disorder, Guthrie was overcome by a “profound sense of emptiness” but was also comforted by “an empty bedroom, an empty place at the table.” Speaking to Christians “in need of grace to fill and redeem and relieve the ache of emptiness,” Guthrie offers assurances that God views emptiness as an opportunity. Drawing from examples of those who experienced feelings of emptiness in the Bible, such as the children of Israel, Naomi, and Mephibosheth, she illustrates how God uses emptiness to teach and train, such as how infertility inspired resilience and faith in Sarai and husband Abram. Guthrie encourages readers to “feed on truth” and to allow faith and a sense of joy in God’s creation to satiate cravings, loneliness, disappointment, and loss. She starkly contrasts “trying to make sense of this world” with trusting God when the meaning is unclear, arguing one must have complete faith in God’s plan. Guthrie’s heart-wrenching testament to living with emptiness will direct Christians to a more intimate and trusting relationship with God.