Revealing Jesus by Darlene Zschech

The back cover of this new devotional Revealing Jesus by Darlene Zschech asks:

Do you long for more of God's presence? Do you ache to see Him at work in your life? Do you desire His peace and rest? 

My heart answered "Yes.  Yes, of course."

Every year my husband and I choose a new daily devotional book to read and pray through each night before we turn out the lights, choosing to end the day the way we begin, by pouring His Word into our hearts and spirits.

Zschech begins each daily page with a passage of scripture.  What follows are stories, questions, words of faith that not only encourage but challenge.  I have found my faith being stretched, shaped and enlarged in ways I am sure delight the One Who I am reading about.

If you are looking for a short daily read that will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus make sure to add this book to your bedside table!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.

 

Hearing or listening?

Are your spiritual ears as active as your natural senses?

I'm sharing over at Internet Cafe Devotions today

about listening and hearing...

 

Talking about Faith at Internet Cafe

With acres of space and no neighbors in close proximity, it was time to add a canine member to our family. Enter a three month old border collie crossed with husky or malamute and who knows what else.

Was it love at first sight? You bet! I knew that I was to name her Faith. Young and small as she was, the joke became "Oh, you of little Faith."
 
click here to read the rest of the story...

 

His hand rules all

Rick met me in the living room, in the breaking light of day, as is our habit, to read to me from the Our Daily Bread devotional.  I had enjoyed my quiet time of communion with the Lord, listening for His voice and noting what He shared in my journal.

Rick always reads to me before I share my journaling with him.  God-bumps covered my flesh as he read:

“At this my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.
Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.
After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.
God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
So that everyone he has made may know his work,
he stops all people from their labor.
The animals take cover;
they remain in their dens.
The tempest comes out from its chamber,
the cold from the driving winds.
The breath of God produces ice,
and the broad waters become frozen.
He loads the clouds with moisture;
he scatters his lightning through them.
Job 37:1-11 NIV

My eyes were filled with tears, I mumbled something like "just wait till I read you what He said this morning."

Rick put down his Bible and picked up the Our Daily Bread booklet with a strange look on his face.  He couldn't seem to reconcile the devotional with the scripture passage he had just finished reading. 

"Now I see why" he said.  "I was supposed to read from Psalm 37 not Job 37!"

I could hardly wait until he finished reading the devotional so that I could share my morning "word":

It is I Who forms the snow and rains, no ice freezes without My touch. No, not mother nature or any other god. Weather bows down at My command.

Sometimes what you see as punishment is simply that I have allowed you to suffer through consequences of your own design, faulty stewardship of the land you have been given.

Remember, when the storms rage, that I Am your shelter, I Am your place of calm, safety and peace.

Let the world around you grumble and complain if they must, but remember to meet each new day with thanksgiving, as a gift from My hand, no matter what the day holds.

"Do you still think that you made a mistake?" I asked, or was God just trying to put an exclamation point on His words?

What do you think?




Join us at Jennifer's and share your God-Bumps

 

Knowing Your Master

The air has taken on the chill of late autumn and we know that it is time to begin making preparations for the winter that is soon to come. With leaves crackling underfoot, my husband Rick moves back and forth around the yard, putting away tools, covering the most fragile plants with straw and cultivating the gardens before the snow falls.

Each time I catch a glimpse of him I notice he has a shadow: our dog Faith....

to read the rest of the story, click over to Internet Cafe Devotions where I'm sharing today.

 

The Jesus Calling Devotional Bible

The promotional material for Sarah Young's book Jesus Calling says:

After many years of writing in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever she believed He was saying to her.  It was awkward at first, but gradually her journaling changed from monologue to dialogue.  She knew her writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but journaling helped her grow closer to God .   Others were blessed as she shared her writings, until people all over the world were using her messages.  They are written from Jesus’ point of view, thus the title Jesus Calling.

Now Thomas Nelson Publishers have released the Jesus Calling Devotional Bible and I have been blessed to receive a sample to explore and review.

This New King James edition includes beautifully highlighted verses throughout, showing where God has spoken to His people through His Word.

There are intimate prayers written from the viewpoint of average people struggling to make sense of the world and on the facing page devotionals from one of Young's books that could be Jesus Himself answering the prayers with words of His own.

There is a topical index and an index titled When Your Heart Long For Help that directs you to the prayers and stories of people dealing with the same issues.

All this, surrounded by the truth and beauty of God's Word in New King James translation.

This is a Bible one can turn to in sorrow or joy, to find answers, comfort and truth and an edition you will surely want to add to your own colleciton or bless someone else with as a gift.

Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson

The opinions I have expressed are my own.