My mother recently gave me this little devotional book by missionary Sarah Young. It’s a great little book, with one prayer for each day.
I keep it on my desk so when I need a little spiritual something to get me through a work day, my book is there. But… I’ll be honest, I forget to read it… or at least, I’ve forgotten to read it since one day a few weeks ago that I had marked with a business card.
(Sorry, mom… its just that its been buried under 6 inches of paperwork… )
But that was before today, when a visitor to my office picked up my little book off of my recently (semi) cleared-off desk, saw the date marked back in March, chided me for not reading my book since March!, and proceeded to read today’s entry out loud.
I thought it was beautiful and so appropriate for lots of areas of my life at this very moment, so I thought I’d share it here:
Living in dependence on Me is the way to enjoy abundant life. You are learning to appreciate tough times, because they amplify your awareness of My Presence. Tasks that you used to dread are becoming rich opportunities to enjoy My closeness. When you feel tired, you remember that I am your Strength; you take pleasure in leaning on Me. I am pleased by your tendency to turn to Me more and more frequently, especially when you are alone.
When you are with other people, you often lose sight of My Presence. Your fear of displeasing people puts you in bondage to them, and they become your primary focus. When you realize this has happened, whisper My Name; this tiny act of trust brings Me to the forefront of your consciousness, where I belong. As you bask in the blessing of My nearness, My life can flow through you to others. This is abundant life!
Proverbs 29:25; John 10:10
Thank you, God, for the rich opportunities to enjoy Your closeness this week.
My mother gave me a compilation of the book called "Forty Days with Jesus" for my fortieth birthday. I've loved it, and it has drawn me into looking forward to quiet times like few other devotionals have. I, too, especially like this morning's selection. *contented sigh*