I am a big fan of daily devotional guides and Bible studies. These are the bread and butter of daily spiritual growth. I have a habit of reading one or two devotionals each morning. I receive some by way of daily or weekly emails. I change around and use the calendared ones, the writings of popular authors and devotional Bibles. When I am studying a particular book of the Bible, I like to read the devotional comments of people like Herschel Hobbs, who wrote Sunday School material from 1968 to 1993—25 years of quarterly lesson books. Dorothy enjoys the Jesus Calling series by Sarah Young. Last year I came across the Simple Faith Bible: Following Jesus into a Life of Peace, Compassion and Wholeness. Included throughout this Bible are reflections from a Sunday School teacher for over 65 years, former President Jimmy Carter. Today I read the Bible in Life comment based on Matthew 8:23-27 called “Underestimating the Power of God.”
The disciples had their individual reasons for following Jesus. He had called each of them under different circumstances. But faced with a terrifying storm, they were all in the same boat—figuratively and literally! They thought they were going to die, and they felt skeptical as to whether or not Jesus cared enough for them to save them. The disciples had seen other people benefit from the healing ministries of Christ, but up until this point, they had not had that personal, profound, shocking, life-changing experience that the blind man or the leper had. In this storm, the disciples came to see that the all-encompassing power of God through Jesus Christ transcends anything they could possibly fear. They had underestimated Jesus and his power as the Son of God. We need not make the same mistake.
Simple, direct and to the point, Bible-centered devotionals help us set our minds on Jesus and our hearts on the Spirit’s leading. A breath of prayer and the fragrance of gratitude fills the air. You do not even have to search for the perfect devotional source for so many are available. The only real downside is developing a bad habit of reading the devotional while neglecting the actual reading of the Bible. That is like licking the butter off and casting the bread away. A good practice is to read God’s Word first, pause to reflect, then read what the writer is saying.
Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Find strength in the Bread. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.
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