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| Choosing the fairest Christian Devotional of all can be challenging! |
Magic Mirror, on the wall…
who is the fairest one of all?
Is it Oswald, Sarah, or Spurgeon pray tell,
You know a New Year is coming as well.
So show me,
lead me,
oh, Mirror I ask-
Show me in your looking glass.
As you can see I have watched one too many Disney Princess movies. Yes, sometimes that Disney stuff just pops right out of my little mind when I sit down to write. Those classics just seem to stay with you. Ah-ha, like a good devotional book. A while back I was going to write a post dedicated to why I am not a big fan of Christian devotional books, due to the fact that sometimes I see people rely on them exclusively and neglect deeper Bible study. However, I realize that God is gracious. He knows his own and is able to make his truth known to those who desire and seek Him with the right heart and attitude.
And without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11
I do believe a good devotional can be a great supplement to Bible reading and is especially good for tight schedules and keeping a steady pace with the Lord, on a day to day basis. Like fitness, a little bit on a regular basis, is better than a whole bunch sporadically. Finding a devotional book to help meet you where you are at, during the season of life you’re in is crucial. Like a good pair of shoes, a good devotional will stand the test of time. It will be comfortable and support you where you need it. It will carry you and sometimes you might even carry it! I carry my current favorite Jesus Calling by Sarah Young in my purse. I actually have it on Kindle and also in a small, handy, leatherette book. One of the most important aspects about using a devotional that can be overlooked, is the actual act of searching the scriptures that the devotional reading is based upon. Sometimes the scripture is listed, often it is not. The point I want to make is, if you are supplementing your Bible Study with devotional reading without actually reading scripture, it is a weak supplement for you. Supplement by definition is something that is done as an accompaniment, not a replacement for the something itself. I think Christians are ill prepared for the battlefield called life when they do not get in the Word, and rely instead on the words of men (or women) to feed them.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Matthew 24:35
You see it’s His words that do not pass away, not Pastor So and So’s. Not mine, not yours and not anyone else’s. Yes there is great wisdom in the words that are spirit led and shared but we are to be sustained by God’s Word because there is life for Believers in them. That is what we need to eat to be satisfied, sustained and spiritually strong.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
There are many good devotionals that are available through the mail as well as online. When I was a new believer I remember receiving devotionals on my computer which were such an encouragement to me. At the time I had an office in a large gym, and trained clients early in the morning. As soon as I could get to that computer I was grateful to have a morning break with God with “God’s Minute”. These were good for my day, as they included the scripture within the content of the devotion itself.
When my daughter was about 4 years old and right on until about third grade, we used a wonderful devotional magazine called Keys For Kids, through CBH ministries. We received it through the mail but it is also available online. I really loved it and at one point my sweet girl wrote a letter to them and sure enough, we received one of the sweetest letters back, a first grader and her mom could ever have hoped for! If you have little ones, and want a great devotional, I highly recommend them.
Two more devotional magazines I like are Our Daily Bread and Charles Stanley’s In Touch Magazine.
Proverbs 31 Ministries is an excellent resource for women.
I think the key to remember here is that we don’t want to be in the habit of skimming along the surface when God has riches and sustenance for us beneath the surface! Oh, and this leads me to a wise word given to me by a sweet Christian Sister when I was a new mom. She told me to put Bibles out and have them open – anywhere I might find myself with the baby, so that, while caring and nurturing my needy one I would also receive nourishment and strength for those long days and nights during that season of my life! Those were good words, friend! Thank you Karen F. !
Where there’s a will – there’s a way. And God will meet you there.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
John 1:1
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
Is there a favorite devotional you like? Is there a devotional you are planning to use for the New Year?
I will be sharing a list of my favorite Devotionals on a separate post, later in the week in case you are interested in one for the New Year or just enjoy lists!
Linking Up with Courtney below:
Enthusiastically, Dawn 
I enjoyed this post! I just read Genesis this morning and John 1. Must be something God is telling me!
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Dawn,This is such a great reminder for us. It's much too easy to just grab devotionals, like 'Our Daily Bread' or 'The Upper Room,' which are easy to just stuff in your pocket or bag to read on-the-go. These are all well and good, but when you find yourself relying on them like Kellogg's Breakfast Bar for quick pick me ups, instead of going for the meat and potatoes of Scripture, you'll soon find yourself starved spiritually. I used to be the Queen of Devotionals. I had 'em ALL laid out in order in my little prayer closet for each morning. I found myself too overwhelmed and I wouldn't have time to even open my Bible. My quiet time became very rote and empty. My good friend, Michelle,called me on the carpet about that and thankfully, set me straight.Now, I have my 'Jesus Calling' devotional book and my Bible. That's it. I don't always ingest as much of God's Word as He calls me to on a daily basis. Some days….well, you know. Things and people and 'situations' can get in the way. But when I do linger over His Word, I am blessed beyond measure!Such a wonderful post, my friend.At His feet,Pamhttp://pam-intheshadowofhiswings.blogspot.com
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I also have Jesus Calling on my Kindle. It makes waiting time an uplifting time. But I agree that we need to be careful not to neglect the Bible.
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“The key to remember here is that we don't want to be in the habit of skimming along the surface when God has riches and sustenance for us beneath the surface!” I love that Dawn! I have just bought Jesus Calling and I am looking forward to getting into it! 🙂
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