In Abandonment to Divine Providence , Jean-Pierre de Caussade explains how God provides Christians with everything they need to enjoy his presence and live holy lives in the present moment. They must only abandon themselves to his providence. The book was first published in French in 1861 as an edited compilation of Caussade's letters of spiritual direction. This rejuvenated paraphrase of an elderly English translation captures Caussade's timeless observations in the language of the present.