Promises in the Dark
Walking Those in Need without Losing Heart
by Eric McLaughlin

New Growth Press
Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 14 Oct 2019


I am reviewing a copy of Promises in the Dark through New Grove Press and Netgalley:



This book is a great tool to strengthen the readers heart and encourages them to Persevere in God's Calling to walk with those in need.





The Author Eric McLaughlin M.D is a missionary doctor in Africa. He understands how working with those in the most need can lead to getting burned out or to Cynicism, that is unless we find the path to persevere, a path the Lord provides.



In this book the readers will find a resource that shows how to find both calling as well as hope and showing the readers what is in the tension between a difficult present and God’s promises of renewal, how to cope with despair and futility, the importance of the suffering God for those who suffer, and how the manifestations of God bring life into a world that is dying.


I give this book five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I found PROMISES IN THE DARK to be true to the title. Eric is a doctor to the under-served people in Africa. He has seen some pretty hard cases, which stacked together seems hopeless causing burn-out. He discusses some difficult topics with unforgettable stories of unforgettable people. His points are simple, but deep. At the end of each chapter he has provided some questions that can be used as a discussion guide or personal reflection. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is working in situations where hope quickly becomes challenged by the day to day routines.

What is God doing? We ask when sorrow overwhelms us. "How could God be present in the midst of all this? we wonder when our failures seem so pointless. We are called to hope in the promises of God while our feet still pound the dust of a world full of brokenness. The promises of God are given to sustain us on this road. They are not ethereal abstractions, but rather promises as real and everyday as the dust of the path we walk. Though it's never easy, we find along the way, the reminders and the whispers that the promises are true and the one who promises is faithful. He has placed these promises in the dark, precisely where he knows we need them. We must return again and again to God's promises.

Eric McLaughlin has articulated in the most profound way the difference between despair and lament ion. Despair is unbelief and lament ion is a costly belief. Eric serves the people of Africa in the medial field and he has witnessed sorrow, pain, death, oppression, failure and victory. Each chapter is short but he shares with detail the people he serves. He also shares his compassion and the overwhelming sense of the brokenness that brings him back to the promises in the dark. You see Jesus in each chapter and the hope of something better. Whether you are a Christian or not, we can be overcome by our inefficiencies and failures. Eric has experienced both. This is a journey and not a one time fix, or even positive thinking. It is a resolve to go on and not to grow weary in doing good. Remember our reasons for hope. Remember the one that is faithful. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

In "Promises in the Dark" the author takes us through a series of medical emergencies he faced during his time as a doctor in the remote villages of Africa. Each chapter includes a retelling of a medical event, a spiritual application, and some questions at the end to get you thinking. This was a short book and was easy to read, but I had a hard time following all of the medical explanations. Overall, it was a good book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.