you never can begin to live until you dare to die...

Monday, March 8, 2010

Good Reading.


A quest for my dear Christian blogger friends:I need an enriching devotional book. In my Bible, I'm currently reading James, which is one of my favorites. However, I like to have something else to read during my quiet time as well. I've read, Beautiful Girlhood. I've read, Talks for Girls and Dear Princess. All three of these were astoundingly fruitful for my 'run' with God. When I read these, I was pretty much sprinting.
But I've gotten all the benefit I can from them. I've read multiple devotionals 'for Teens' which I found to be almost insulting the emotional complexity of adolescence, you know what I'm talking about? Gordon MacDonald's, Ordering your Private World was excellent. Anything by George MacDonald is terrific. I started So Much More by the Botkin sisters and, to most of your great chagrin, I'm sure, objected strongly to quite a bit of its content --though I respect the authors as sisters in Christ. I also began A Lamp Unto My Feet by Elizabeth Eliot, which I enjoyed.
Currently I'm reading, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. The content is full of depth and quality and I love the entire book's premise. However, I'm not deriving much applicable wisdom from it. Perhaps in another stage in life I'll be able to appreciate it more fully. It deals a lot with conquering worry, which is not one of my main struggles, though --good grief!-- I have plenty others.
What I'm asking is this-- what's your favorite devotional? Why do you recommend it? What impact did it have on your spiritual run?
Thank you for your thoughts-
--Gray

8 comments:

Nonexistant anymore said...

Changed Into His Image by Jim Burg. God has used this study to grow me more than any other bar none and I am not alone in that. About half my church has also gone through it and no one has not been grown by it. I'm sorr I don't have time to say more now but I highly recommend it.

Anonymous said...

two books stand out in my mind. one is titled " The complete Fenelon" he lived in the seventeenth century and this book is startling and insightful on many many subjects of the christian everyday walk, trusting in God more and ourselves less. His perception is keen. I got it at the library after reading a much smaller book of his called Let Go,which I bought at the Christian homeschool conference.
Numbr two Is any and every book by John Piper. I cannot stress how many things and how many ways I have learned and been drawn closer to Jesus by reading several of his books!
God Bless you!

David said...

Greetings my friend! There seems to be a trend floating about. I was just asked for resources suggestions not to long ago.

For girls, I think Elizabeth George's "Loving God with All Your Mind". I didn't finish it, but what I did read was very good (It's also highly recommended by the women in my life).

And, of course, Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. You can get the whole book free of charge here: http://www.heavendwellers.com/hdt_knowledge_of_the_holy.htm

Hope that helps!

-David

Brenna said...

I'm reading "Knowing Scripture" by R. C. Sproul right now. It is FANTASTIC. Really makes you think about how you view the Bible, how you read it, how you interpret it, and WHY you do the above the way you do. It's made me "think the Bible" in many directions I've never thought before. Sort of pointed out to me that there are different kinds of Bible Reading. You don't just have to sit down and think, "Okay. I'm going to learn from this if it takes me hours!"... you can read the Bible to enjoy it.
Also some great technical hints about correct interpretation, etc.

Haley said...

Screwtape Letters, by C.S Lewis. Excellent! Highly recommended! Also Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris. This is very good as well. And this is technically a devotional book, but it is one incredibly recommended by me: The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom.

Haley said...

Technically *not*, I meant to say above. But it's still recommended. :)

Hannah said...

I read "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers last year and I'm reading it again this year. Some of his thoughts are a little far fetched sometimes, but that made it even better because it made me think a lot. And he does have a lot of really good insights - you see different things different times you read them.

Rachel Pettersen said...

I would agree with Haley on Do Hard Things and The Hiding Place, although they are not *true* devotional books. :) Of the Imitation of Christ is also excellent (from what I've read). God Called a Girl is great (for girls!) and A Young Woman After God's Own Heart is wonderful, but I read it when I was quite a bit younger so it may be written more for preteens.