Jesus Calling

I have to tell you about this devotional (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)! My sweet Mama got this book for me right after we moved. I have to admit that it collected dust for quite some time before I ever cracked it open. But each day is a short (very short, so there are no excuses - ha!) devotion that you read followed by verses that support what you’ve read. The added verses are great because you can make it into a longer devotional if you’d like by following up on those.

The author writes as if Jesus is speaking to you. It is straight to the point and very easy to translate. There are some mornings that I will read and I can directly relate what I have read into our children’s lives as well, so I will share it with them.

Today’s devotional was the longest one I have read to date (still not long at all) and it opened my eyes as always.

March 5, 2012 (taken from Jesus Calling, with my thoughts added in parenthesis)

MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE PROBLEMS IN YOUR LIFE (you want me to what?! There’s a reason they’re called ‘problems’). Though many things feel random and wrong, remember that I am sovereign over everything. I can fit everything into a pattern for good, but only to the extent that you trust Me. Every problem can teach you something, transforming you little by little into the masterpiece I created you to be. The very same problem can become a stumbling block over which you fall, if you react with distrust and defiance. The choice is up to you, and you will have to choose many times each day whether to trust Me or defy Me (OK, you have my attention. The key thing for me to realize is that this is indeed a CHOICE….and the eye opening part is that I have to make a conscious decision MANY TIMES A DAY to trust Him. I’ve got to train myself to trust Him every single time I walk up to a certain problem….even if I’ve already addressed it earlier in the day).

The best way to befriend your problems is to thank Me for them. This simple act opens your mind to the possibility of benefits flowing from your difficulties. You can even give persistent problems nicknames, helping you approach them with familiarity rather than dread. (I LOVE THIS..... everyone knows how I am with nicknames!!) The next step is to introduce them to Me, enabling Me to embrace them in My loving Presence. I will not necessarily remove your problems, but My wisdom is sufficient to bring good out of every one of them.

Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

I also just found out that there is a Jesus Calling App!!! You can download it to your cell phone/ iPad, so you can always have it close by! Go out and get it (and if you do, let me know what you think!). I really look forward to reading it each day!

I hope you have a great Monday!