All Time Favorite Devotionals that Changed my life
In order of when I first discovered the goodness...
1. Hymnals
I developed a love for Hymns in my teenage years. This love was fostered in two ways. The first was from my piano teacher. Part of my lessons included learning various ways to play hymns. He would occasionally point out the meanings of the hymns. The second way was through boredom in church. As a teenager, when I would check out of the sermon, I decided to start reading through the hymnal. Often I was encouraged and strengthened in my faith more so through the hymns than the sermon. There is a reason that many of these old songs have endured several hundred years. The ancient songs are rich in theology, Christology, hope, and encouragement. These days, my goal is to read/play/sing through a hymn a day but in reality it only happens about once a week.
2. The Valley of Vision - Edited by Arthur Bennett
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley.
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley.
3. The Diary of an Old Soul - By George MacDonald
I discovered this book on the shelf of my former roommate. It is a collection of poetry by MacDonald. My first time through the book was a bit frustrating. The book is broken up into 365 daily excerpts from his poetry but there are no indicators where one poem ends and another begins. Having this in mind helped me navigate a little better through the book the second time. In spite of the confusion, the book is a rich tapestry of MacDonald’s insight into the Word and Christian life. One of my favorite excerpts from this book is:
Too eager I must not be to understand.
How should the work the master goes about
Fit the vague sketch my compasses have planned?
I am his house -- for him to go in and out.
He builds me now--and if I cannot see
At any time what he is doing with me,
‘Tis that he makes the house for me too grand.
4. The Jesus Storybook Bible - By Sally Lloyd-Jones
This book was created as a children’s Bible but I find that it is relevant to kids of all ages including adults. It tells the story of the Bible but also shows how “every story whispers his name” and points to Jesus. In addition to the thought provoking writing, the book is filled with beautifully colorful artwork.
5. A Blossom in the Desert - Edited by Miriam Huffman Rockness
A sweet friend of mine found this book and said it reminded her of me so she bought me a copy. I’m glad she did because it has been a treasure. It covers the life of Lilias Trotter who lived and labored among Algerians in the 1800s. She was an accomplished artist and could have made a nice living selling her work but chose instead to labor in Algeria. The book is made up of images of Trotter’s artwork as well as excerpts from her journal. She had a gift for seeing the hand of God and life lessons in every day life. Below is some images from the book:
