Like I promised, I’m going to repost the poems and devotionals from my book Learning to Love: A Collection of Poetry and 40 Daily Devotions. I posted them all on my blog as I wrote the book and took them down when I published the book, thinking it would boost sales and then more proceeds would go to charity (because I dedicated all its proceeds to charity). But since then, I’ve learned that when you put something in God’s hands, He uses it however He pleases, and it has done its work by other means than lucrative financial proceeds. He has taught me to give freely and openly without expectations in return for myself or for the benefit of others. As my published material will continue to work for His glory, I am also reposting it on my blog in hopes it may bless you again or bless you for the first time. Those are the proceeds He is seeking. So for the next 40 days, I am posting all 40 devotionals and poems in my book, while I continue my series of Messiah in the Parsha. So with that, happy 250th Independence Day, USA, and enjoy, everyone.

Revelation

I could write a thousand poems
And none would ever match
Or measure or come to par of weigh
Alone or as a complete batch
The same as a single verse
directed straight from God.

Day 1

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

There’s something refreshing and encouraging about sitting down with a good devotional book. But nothing substitutes for being refreshed by the Scriptures themselves. It’s the difference between reading what someone wrote about your lover and reading a letter written from your lover to you. Given a choice, which would you prefer? Now if you can choose both, I think it is exciting to hear what other people think of your lover. Do they admire his smile like you notice it? Do they consider her beautiful too? There is a sense of gratification when you hear someone else praise your lover. I think we love to hear him spoken of well for his sake but also for our own when we are identified with him. He’s mine. She’s mine. But nothing substitutes for the words of your own beloved. They take on a life of their own that no one else’s can do in your heart. So do we feel this way about Christ the bridegroom? Do we cherish His words to us above any other?

Hebrews 4:12 says,

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Matthew 24:35 says,

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Reading a devotional or bible study workbook is fine, but there’s no substitute for the Scriptures.