A friend of mine told me some time ago that the devotional, Streams in the Desert, by L. B. Cowman carried her through a very dark period of her life, including the loss of her beloved mother. This summer, I received a copy of the updated edition (Zondervan); the original was first published in 1925. This book and My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (original 1927) are the two best-selling devotionals of all time. Both have been updated by James Reimann because the English language has changed so much in the last 100 years. What I cannot figure out is why I hadn’t read Streams in the Desert sooner. I guess this was the proper time for me.
Here is one quote that stood out to me last month:
When a Roman soldier was told by his guide that if he insisted on taking a certain journey, it would probably be fatal, he answered, “It is necessary for me to go — it is not necessary for me to live.” That was true depth of conviction, and only when we are likewise convicted will our lives amount to something.
And this morning, I highlighted this:
God has a simplicity about Him in working out His plans, and yet He possesses a resourcefulness equal to any difficulty. His faithfulness to His trusting children is unwavering, and He is steadfast in holding to His purpose. In Joseph’s life, we see God work through a fellow prisoner, later through a dream, and finally through lifting Joseph from a prison to the position of governor. And the length of Joseph’s prison stay gave him the strength and steadiness he needed as governor.
It is always safe to trust God’s methods and to live by His clock. Samuel Dickey Gordon
I don’t know about you, but I take tremendous comfort in those truths.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
In the grip of His grace,
Robin
