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God Does His Best Work with Empty
It’s amazing how heavy the weight of emptiness can feel, how much room it can take up in our souls, how much pain can be caused by something that isn’t even there. But while we may see the emptiness of our lives as our greatest problem, that’s not how God sees it. When God looks into the empty places of our lives, He sees His greatest opportunity. God does His best work in the emptiness of our . . .Insatiable craving for things that don’t satisfyRelational disappointments and lonelinessFrustrated search for purpose and meaningRelentless desire for comfort and securityOngoing struggle to live with loss and unfulfilled dreamsJoin Nancy Guthrie in discovering why emptiness has never been, and never will be, a problem to God. As Nancy pulls back the curtain on God’s work to fill up emptiness as revealed throughout the Bible, you’ll experience page after page of grace and hope that your emptiness can and will be filled. You’ll begin to see that God really does do His best work with empty—as he fills it with Himself.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2020
215 people are currently reading
3320 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Guthrie
80 books565 followersNancy Guthrie teaches the Bible at her home church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as at conferences around the country and internationally, including through her Biblical Theology Workshops for Women. She is the author of numerous books and the host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast at The Gospel Coalition. She and her husband host Respite Retreats for couples who have faced the death of child and are co-hosts of the GriefShare video series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
March 28, 2021
One of my favorite books all year. If you are looking for meaning in life, struggle with perspective or anxiety...this book is for you. It's a short book but PACKED with Biblical insight.
August 7, 2021
Given to me by a friend. Parts of it went straight home and filled me with courage. Parts were not as pertinent. I imagine there is some encouragement here for everyone.
September 10, 2020
Before reading this book I viewed it as a project separate from myself. From the outside I do not look empty. Even in the midst of this pandemic I can tic off so many boxes on the life satisfaction index. So, basically I did not view this as a book I needed. How wrong I was!
In every chapter, Nancy Guthrie takes a story from scripture and shows the reader how the emptiness portrayed there or alleviated there can be applied to our own lives. So often we tend to see the Bible characters as "other than" and not at all similar to us. It is so edifying to be reminded of the similarities we share with these brothers and sisters in Christ; how their stories can encourage and instruct us. I love this quote from a a chapter featuring Habakkuk:
As we saturate ourselves with God's Word, we understand more clearly what God has promised and what he has not promised. And we become increasingly willing to risk everything on God's promises being fully reliable.
Thank you Tyndale Momentum and Edelweiss+ for a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
In every chapter, Nancy Guthrie takes a story from scripture and shows the reader how the emptiness portrayed there or alleviated there can be applied to our own lives. So often we tend to see the Bible characters as "other than" and not at all similar to us. It is so edifying to be reminded of the similarities we share with these brothers and sisters in Christ; how their stories can encourage and instruct us. I love this quote from a a chapter featuring Habakkuk:
As we saturate ourselves with God's Word, we understand more clearly what God has promised and what he has not promised. And we become increasingly willing to risk everything on God's promises being fully reliable.
Thank you Tyndale Momentum and Edelweiss+ for a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
March 13, 2022
Challenging & Uplifting! I guess 200+ highlights shows that I was strengthened & enlightened by this book . . . This quote from the author is the best summary I could share? "I pray that the day will come when you will be able to look back over the course of your lifetime and see that again and again, God did his best work in the empty places, the desperate times, and the difficult circumstances in your life, and that he has filled you with the fullness of Christ."
December 28, 2022
My favorite book of 2022! Maybe it just hit me personally with where I am at right now, but I highly recommend this book if you are feeling a little out of sorts with loss, loneliness, transition, and finding purpose.Throughout the book, she directs your eyes to Jesus and shares over and over that only in Him can we find what we are really looking for. I feel so hopeful and inspired after reading this book, and thankful for seasons that do feel a little unsure, because really these are the moments I find myself knowing Jesus more deeply.
April 27, 2022
I mean, is there anyone more encouraging and edifying than Nancy Guthrie? So good!
December 25, 2025
Very encouraging book, full of comfort from Gods word. Will reread for sure one day!
January 7, 2023
So, so encouraged by this little book. Reminds me of how encouraging the first book I ever read by Nancy was in connecting the wilderness the Israelites spent 40 years in, to our years here on earth. How would our lives change if we viewed our emptiness not as lack but as opportunities that Christ is choosing to use and work through? We are not forsaken.
September 23, 2025
This book is incredibly encouraging! It made me cry (a lot)Nancy Guthrie points out that though we might have emptiness in areas of our life such as: a marriage, friendships, family, or even a home, God can use, and will use it for our good. Any emptiness we feel can be filled up with the joy and fullness of Christ. I highly recommend for anyone who is feeling empty, because this book has reminded me that our God really does do his best work with empty.
January 15, 2022
I love the way that Nancy Guthrie connects the stories of Scripture - stories of people who are empty, hopeless, bitter, and afraid - with our story and our hearts. Most of all I love how she points to God as the one who meets us in our emptiness with abundance, joy, hope, and satisfaction.
May 29, 2023
Okay, can we give a shout-out to the cover art here??
It’s nice.
It’s nice.
June 11, 2024
I think the sentiment of this book is needed, but there are many things the writer poses that sound fanciful and nice, but are theologically incorrect. One example is in chapter 4. Guthrie mentions that Jesus became God’s enemy so that we could be God’s friend. It sounds nice, and rolls off the tongue beautifully, but it’s just not biblically correct. God, in His infinite wisdom and will, cannot be enemies with himself. I understand that Jesus took on the sins of the world, and God hates sin, but that doesn’t mean that his one and only son is now his enemy. In fact, I would argue Jesus was God’s closest friend because he walked out his will - to the death, which we know from the Bible is the ultimate expression of love.
I don’t want to say don’t read this book because of a few phrases I’m choosing to pick apart, but I would say proceed with caution. The goal of this book is to be an encouragement to someone dealing with loss or emptiness of some kind. This book is a wonderful resource for that, but some biblical things along the way are not necessarily sound doctrine.
I don’t want to say don’t read this book because of a few phrases I’m choosing to pick apart, but I would say proceed with caution. The goal of this book is to be an encouragement to someone dealing with loss or emptiness of some kind. This book is a wonderful resource for that, but some biblical things along the way are not necessarily sound doctrine.
September 30, 2021
Nancy weaves Old and New Testament accounts to show how God uses our emptiness to bless us through His grace and kindness. She documents how God pursues us and is at work in our desperate circumstances. She teaches us of our innate need to be connected with our Savior, but we often turn to what the world says will satisfy. We turn to worthless things, not our heavenly treasures.
November 16, 2022
Our broken cisterns never could stay filled.
Profound and thoughtful. The content was wise and encouraging to me-- knowing that Guthrie lost two of her children gave her voice a lot of weight on the subject of 'emptiness'. I appreciated how she tried to reframe emptiness as something good and necessary, something that reminds us of how the triune God both fills that emptiness while also promises an ending to that emptiness one day. The chapter on Naomi was my personal favorite. I never thought about the story of Ruth from Naomi's perspective and it strangely resonated with me.
Stylistically, this book suffered from a small lack of editing. Much of the tone was a little bit outdated (often addressing the reader, some illustrations, phrasing rhetorical questions where a sentence would be more striking), or perhaps taken from a lecture and pasted right onto the page. A few tweaks in style could have given the tone more zest, and made the sentences flow better. Also, it's a bug bear of mine when Biblical stories of disability are spiritualized- but that's not a Guthrie problem, it's a Western evangelical problem.
Overall, well worth the read. The chapters are split up well, and the content is exceptional.
Profound and thoughtful. The content was wise and encouraging to me-- knowing that Guthrie lost two of her children gave her voice a lot of weight on the subject of 'emptiness'. I appreciated how she tried to reframe emptiness as something good and necessary, something that reminds us of how the triune God both fills that emptiness while also promises an ending to that emptiness one day. The chapter on Naomi was my personal favorite. I never thought about the story of Ruth from Naomi's perspective and it strangely resonated with me.
Stylistically, this book suffered from a small lack of editing. Much of the tone was a little bit outdated (often addressing the reader, some illustrations, phrasing rhetorical questions where a sentence would be more striking), or perhaps taken from a lecture and pasted right onto the page. A few tweaks in style could have given the tone more zest, and made the sentences flow better. Also, it's a bug bear of mine when Biblical stories of disability are spiritualized- but that's not a Guthrie problem, it's a Western evangelical problem.
Overall, well worth the read. The chapters are split up well, and the content is exceptional.
June 26, 2024
Really good. I appreciate how she uses characters in/the story of scripture to help represent so many different avenues of emptiness. And how she helps us view our life through the lens of eternity. No person is exempt from emptiness — and no one can’t be filled by Jesus. If you are experiencing any sort of pain — brokenness, discouragement, loss, longing — let Nancy, through this little book, help you take steps towards grace. And if you aren’t, read it anyway. I promise you that you are, you just can’t see it.
October 5, 2020
A short book full of tender, Biblical reminders of what has been and always will be true: God works to fill our emptiness (unmet desires, loneliness, and fears) with grace, kindness, joy, meaning, and love, as he fills these spaces with himself.
August 4, 2024
A much needed read! Read this alongside her Bible study that goes along with the book. God delights to fill our emptiness with Himself. When we try to fill our emptiness with worldly things, we’re never full. Only God Himself can truly satiate the desires of our heart. Convicting, Scripture-rich, and encouraging!
November 19, 2025
amazing book!!! seriously, go read or listen to this asap! parts were hard to hear at times but also such wonderful reminders of how Christ is our ultimate hope and we can look to God to fill our emptiness. She uses specific parts of scripture to make her points and it is just so great. Nancy is a phenomenal writer!!!
October 15, 2020
Don’t we all live with a sense of nagging emptiness in some form? We know there has to be something to fill it. Nancy Guthrie beautifully answers this question through scripture. In her style of Bible teaching, she addresses different aspects of emptiness through the perspective of stories and books of the Bible. She also wonderfully ties it all back to Christ and the gospel. There is so much solid teaching here, one could meditate and work through each chapter and scripture reference at a very slow pace to take in all Guthrie has to say.
I also really liked her use of the NLT for scripture references. It really made the words come alive and complimented her writing style.
I also really liked her use of the NLT for scripture references. It really made the words come alive and complimented her writing style.
October 11, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
What an absolutely excellent, Scripture-rich read! My soul was nourished & my faith encouraged.
My only 2 negatives among so many positives:
1️⃣ I don’t think the title matched the content. The title made me think the book was going to be something different.
2️⃣ I would have preferred a less obvious link to the Bible study. It read more like a Bible study accompaniment than a book for growing in Jesus.
Loved the book. Definitely recommend!
What an absolutely excellent, Scripture-rich read! My soul was nourished & my faith encouraged.
My only 2 negatives among so many positives:
1️⃣ I don’t think the title matched the content. The title made me think the book was going to be something different.
2️⃣ I would have preferred a less obvious link to the Bible study. It read more like a Bible study accompaniment than a book for growing in Jesus.
Loved the book. Definitely recommend!
December 4, 2020
Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. Ecclesiastes 1:2-8.
If you are feeling empty, lonely, or even without purpose, God is calling you to himself. It is these feelings that we question why and how. We all feel these inadequacies but what do we do with them. How can we draw close to the Lord?
Guthrie is probably one of my favorite bible teachers and I gleam insight to faith and how God may be working in my life. I appreciate her getting to the root of my sin and to the hope of the Gospel. This study does that. It looks at the emptiness experienced by the people of God thru the people of Israel in the wilderness. The losses that Naomi suffered and the circumstances faced by Mephiboseheth. The woman at the well and the concerns of Habakkuk. There is also the parables of the field worker and the pearl merchant in finding what is the most important thing.
These are the things we must be reminded time and time again. That God does his best work on empty. It is only then we can be filled with his love, his security and his promises. Sometimes it might be the act of us emptying ourselves so we can be filled with those things that last and gives us peace.
Each Chapter begins with what God fill us up with and how we can experience his goodness. Highly recommend.
A special thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
If you are feeling empty, lonely, or even without purpose, God is calling you to himself. It is these feelings that we question why and how. We all feel these inadequacies but what do we do with them. How can we draw close to the Lord?
Guthrie is probably one of my favorite bible teachers and I gleam insight to faith and how God may be working in my life. I appreciate her getting to the root of my sin and to the hope of the Gospel. This study does that. It looks at the emptiness experienced by the people of God thru the people of Israel in the wilderness. The losses that Naomi suffered and the circumstances faced by Mephiboseheth. The woman at the well and the concerns of Habakkuk. There is also the parables of the field worker and the pearl merchant in finding what is the most important thing.
These are the things we must be reminded time and time again. That God does his best work on empty. It is only then we can be filled with his love, his security and his promises. Sometimes it might be the act of us emptying ourselves so we can be filled with those things that last and gives us peace.
Each Chapter begins with what God fill us up with and how we can experience his goodness. Highly recommend.
A special thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
June 26, 2024
Note to self; one to reread 😊
March 20, 2021
I have long been a grateful recipient of Nancy Guthrie's resources. I've gained much from her books, studies and podcast. This book was no different.
Coming out of a difficult season, this was a timely and encouraging read. This short book was full of Biblical reminders of how God takes our emptiness and fills it- with hope, with meaning, with Himself.
"Trust him to the end. He is guiding the story of your life toward restoration, toward redemption, toward resurrection."
Coming out of a difficult season, this was a timely and encouraging read. This short book was full of Biblical reminders of how God takes our emptiness and fills it- with hope, with meaning, with Himself.
"Trust him to the end. He is guiding the story of your life toward restoration, toward redemption, toward resurrection."
June 25, 2025
Underlining and markings on just about every single page. Saturated in scripture. I recommend this book to anyone & everyone
March 18, 2025
5 stars. Loved category. ❤️
While my daughter was home for a week, she told me to read this book before she took it back to school. It wasn’t a long book so I said why not. I’m so glad she did because I really loved this book. Nancy Guthrie takes various empty, lost, and defeated stories of the Bible and shows how they were in fact fulfilled in and through Christ. Not only that, she did a wonderful job of challenging the reader of how it is practical and relevant to us here and now. Nancy is a gifted writer who was able to bring complex theology and doctrine to an easy to understand conversation.
I have already downloaded a Kindle version after reading the physical book so that I can better and permanently capture the takeaways to reflect on especially when life’s challenges and emptiness creep into my life.
“My friend, your confidence is not that God is going to fix everything for you in the here and now. Your confidence is that though there may be significant losses in this life, huge places of emptiness, there is divine fullness in your future. One day his glory is going to fill this earth like the waters cover the sea. Faith will become sight. And when it does, we won’t be able to keep from singing.”
“We usually call him the rich young ruler. But perhaps we should call him the sad young ruler who couldn’t see how poor he really was and how rich Jesus wanted to make him.”
“Anticipatory joy now. Eternal joy in his presence.”
“He is praying that Christ would not simply take up residence in our lives but transform our hearts into homes that reflect his character, his preferences, his reality, his holiness, his fullness.”
While my daughter was home for a week, she told me to read this book before she took it back to school. It wasn’t a long book so I said why not. I’m so glad she did because I really loved this book. Nancy Guthrie takes various empty, lost, and defeated stories of the Bible and shows how they were in fact fulfilled in and through Christ. Not only that, she did a wonderful job of challenging the reader of how it is practical and relevant to us here and now. Nancy is a gifted writer who was able to bring complex theology and doctrine to an easy to understand conversation.
I have already downloaded a Kindle version after reading the physical book so that I can better and permanently capture the takeaways to reflect on especially when life’s challenges and emptiness creep into my life.
“My friend, your confidence is not that God is going to fix everything for you in the here and now. Your confidence is that though there may be significant losses in this life, huge places of emptiness, there is divine fullness in your future. One day his glory is going to fill this earth like the waters cover the sea. Faith will become sight. And when it does, we won’t be able to keep from singing.”
“We usually call him the rich young ruler. But perhaps we should call him the sad young ruler who couldn’t see how poor he really was and how rich Jesus wanted to make him.”
“Anticipatory joy now. Eternal joy in his presence.”
“He is praying that Christ would not simply take up residence in our lives but transform our hearts into homes that reflect his character, his preferences, his reality, his holiness, his fullness.”
October 6, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
Lots of solid truths and encouraging thoughts. I didn’t think it hit the nail on the head at times, but perhaps if the book had a different title I would feel differently.
“But God did not intend for their wilderness years to be wasted years. Rather, he intended to use their time in the wilderness to teach and train them”.
“Loneliness is the whisper of God himself, wooing us and calling us home to himself”.
“God had repeatedly saved them— not from judgement but through judgement”.
Lots of solid truths and encouraging thoughts. I didn’t think it hit the nail on the head at times, but perhaps if the book had a different title I would feel differently.
“But God did not intend for their wilderness years to be wasted years. Rather, he intended to use their time in the wilderness to teach and train them”.
“Loneliness is the whisper of God himself, wooing us and calling us home to himself”.
“God had repeatedly saved them— not from judgement but through judgement”.
July 24, 2021
This was so encouraging. There are times when my heart is just so weary—this book acknowledged that weariness and still pointed to the hope we have in Jesus.
I absolutely love the way Nancy Guthrie teaches. This is not a book of chit-chat with a few Bible verses sprinkled in. It is deeply rooted in the Bible as the foundation, and then the application grows out of that as we wrestle and relate to the Biblical stories and what they show us about God’s character.
I absolutely love the way Nancy Guthrie teaches. This is not a book of chit-chat with a few Bible verses sprinkled in. It is deeply rooted in the Bible as the foundation, and then the application grows out of that as we wrestle and relate to the Biblical stories and what they show us about God’s character.
August 1, 2022
Very encouraging and based in Scripture; I just wasn’t a fan of some of the ways she expounded upon various passages. I did like how she challenges her reader to be intentional about looking for the good things God has given us. He is always working things for our good and his glory even if we are not able to find meaning in our various circumstances.
February 22, 2023
This little book was so encouraging and convicting. It was full of Bible verses and Biblical examples. In fact,all her illustrations were straight from the Bible. Each chapter took a character or portion of the Bible and talked about how God used emptiness to show Who He is and how He can do great things with nothing.
August 29, 2023
This book goes through the ways in which we attempt to fill our lives and find joy in things that aren't God. It shows how when we feel like we have nothing left we actually have everything we need in God who fills our weakness with his strength, love and joy! It covers so many great topics and is written in a way that is easy to understand and apply. Would highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews