Of all the books recommended on this site thus far, this would be one of the highest ranking and might be a good choice for you if:

• You know in your head that God is sufficient, but don’t know how (or have forgotten how) to believe it in your heart and in your day-to-day life
• You don’t know how the Bible connects you to the concept that God is enough
• You’ve gone through some really rotten stuff and have a lot of questions about why; and sometimes wonder how God could be good
• Temptation and bad habits are a struggle, and God doesn’t seem to be helping
• Your knowledge feels stale; you need fresh reminders of your sins and salvation
• You’re looking for an even closer walk with the Lord.

In her beautifully written, easy-to-read book, The Promise Is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough, Glenna Marshall makes you feel like you’ve opened up to her about the above delicate topics, and she shares with you how the Bible spoke to her during her journey with the same issues.

“Generally speaking, I knew God was good because Scripture says He is. I wasn’t so sure about His love and kindness to me specifically, though. I thought perhaps He loved me in the way you love a relative who’s kind of annoying but is still family, so you have to love them.”

Adam & Eve

When Glenna was searching for something more, she reminded herself that the Garden of Eden was the origin of human doubt.

“We are bound and bent to disbelieve the truth. We think we can find fullness elsewhere.”

Abraham & All The Patriarchs

Pushing past the discouragement of this human fate, Glenna began to see God’s pattern for hope in each of the stories told in Genesis.

“God was laying a path of faithful presence we can still look back on today.”

The Israelites

Glenna recognized herself in the Israelites – for the tendency to actually worship what she desired and lacked. And by the time you finish reading, you’ll recognize yourself in these slaves too.

“I believed God owed me my own definition of happiness.”

“His goodness does not hinge on our unfilled desires.”

Moses

 Like Moses, Glenna asked for how.  And like Moses, she deeply discovered that God always answers with Who.

“Desperation can cultivate deep dependence upon God.”

The Tabernacle

In a tabernacle that could be set up and torn down as the Israelites traveled, Glenna received the same message – that only His Presence can meet their (and hers and your) needs.

“With every trial, with every broken dream, with every sin ensnaring my heart, I realized … I cannot answer my own needs.”

“His faithful love exposes our real need so that He can meet it with His nearness.”

King David

Glenna pressed into the life of David not only for the promises God continued to speak to His people through him, but to grow a heart like his repentant heart and to form an attachment like his attachment to God’s presence.

“Loneliness was threatening to swallow me whole …”

“Israel’s greatest king was a struggling, conflicted man who knew he was loved by a present God.”

The Birth of a Savior

Glenna admitted the ways her circumstances had made her miss the presence of Jesus in the same way people of the time weren’t looking for the Savior to be born in a stable.

“God has always chosen the ways in which He will keep His promise of presence, but we tend to see what we want to see. We’ll call Him good if He answers our prayers within the exact perimeters that we give Him; but God is good to us even when His answer looks wildly different from what we expect.”

The Life of the Savior

While studying the way God walked on this planet, Glenna took notes and reached some life-changing conclusions.

“I tried to sort it out. Pain is true; God is true. But pain is also a liar that tells me that God isn’t true, or that if He is true He definitely isn’t good, or that if He is good He definitely isn’t good to me.”

“My life separated into two categories: before and after. Not before and after my deferred hopes were fulfilled, but before and after God’s presence become more important to me than those deferred hopes were.”

“Knowledge of Jesus’s authority penetrated my darkest nights. His presence eclipsed my doubts, rebuking them while also overriding them.”

The Death & Resurrection of the Savior

Christians can tend to pass quickly over this truth that Jesus died and yet lives in us; and Glenna was no exception until she stopped to ponder what it truly meant.

“The gift of Presence comes with the gift of salvation.”

“After the collective presence of God in the Old Testament, and then Jesus in the flesh, the third and final way God kept His promise to be present on earth was through the gift of the Holy Spirit to every believer.”

God’s Word, the Psalms, & Church

Glenna didn’t allow her feelings to dictate her schedule. Instead, she showed up time and time again to meet with God.

“Opening our Bibles is taking advantage of God’s presence in our lives.”

“What the Lord taught me through the Psalms was that His faithful love most often looks like presence.”

“When we gather together to corporately worship … we are a group of people who are filled with the presence of God.”

Conclusion

This author has had a true struggle with faith, and travels through the Bible to show you how His Presence is always the answer. This book is Glenna’s story, but on a personal note, I too have experienced how His Presence repairs my heart and stabilizes my emotions time and time again; and I witness the work of His presence in the counseling room daily. Read Glenna’s story and come talk to me anytime about discovering the sufficiency of God’s presence in this life.

“When we change our approach to Scripture from ‘What’s in it for me?’ to ‘Who are You?’ we position our hearts to believe the presence of God is enough for us.”