Sarah Young - Jesus Calling Morning and Evening Devotional

Jesus CallingMorning and Evening

2015 by Sarah Young

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These devotions include text from Jesus Calling, Jesus Today, Dear Jesus, and Jesus Lives . They are used with the authors permission.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, IncTM. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Other Scripture quotations are taken from the following sources:

The King James Version ( KJV ). The Message ( MSG ). Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. The New King James Version ( NKJV ). Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ( NASB ), Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. The Amplified Bible ( AMP ), Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA. All rights reserved. Used by permission. www.lockman.org. The Living Bible ( TLB ) copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible ( NRSV ), copyright 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) ( ESV ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7180-4015-4

ISBN-13: 978-0-7180-4016-1 (eBook)

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I dedicate Jesus Calling to my mother, whose encouragement inspired me to persevere in writing this book. She demonstrated her appreciation of my writing in poignant ways. She kept my manuscript beside her bed, so she could read it every morning. Once, while away from her home, she even asked me to fax her the readings day by day. After she died from cancer, I found portions of my writings that she had hand-copied into a journal. This mother who had prayed me through thick and thin, including years of rebellion, opened her heart fully to my devotional writing. Her oft-expressed desire to write childrens books never came to fruition. But there is a sense in which she has writtenthrough methis book.

Thank you, Nani! Your legacy lives on.

Be still and know that I am God.

PSALM 46:10

This new morning and evening edition of Jesus Calling allows readers to begin each day focusing on the hope and peace that can be found only in Jesus and then, in turn, to go to bed each evening reflecting on His Word.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. (Psalm 143:8)

What a gift it is to start the day knowing that God loves us and has a plan for us. Before the rush of the calendar and responsibilities takes over, while the world is still and the morning coffee is hot, take a moment to pause in the presence of Jesus. Starting your day in Scripture reading, prayer, and devotions provides you with strength and peaceboth of which you are likely to need in the coming hours.

As the day winds to a close, thank the Lord for the joys and blessings of the day, acknowledging that He was with you each step of the way. Release your fears and cast your anxieties on Him, knowing that they are safe in His care and trusting that He is at work on your behalf. Rest peacefully, knowing that you are not in control but that the One who is in control is working to make all things to work together for good.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. (Proverbs 3:24)

May you greet each day with His hope in your heart, and may you sleep sweetly at night, sustained by the promises of His Word.

Sarah Young

I FIRST EXPERIENCED THE PRESENCE OF GOD in a setting of exquisite beauty. I was studying at a Christian community in a tiny Alpine village in France. This was a branch of LAbri, an international ministry that began in Switzerland through Francis and Edith Schaeffers work. During my stay at LAbri, I often explored the fairyland-like environment all around me. It was late winter, and the noonday sun was warm enough for sunbathing, but the depth of the snow kept it from melting. Brilliant sunlight reflecting from pure white snow was cleansing my mind of the darkness that had held it captive for years.

Every day I climbed up a steep hill to attain a view that delighted my soul. As I stood at the top, I would lose myself in a panorama of unbroken beauty. Below me was the village that had become my home. Viewed from this height, the village was dominated by a high-steepled church. Turning 180 degrees, I could see Lake Geneva far below me, shouting greetings in refracted sunbeams. When I looked up, I saw icy tips of Alpine mountains encircling me. I would turn round and round, absorbing as much as I could with two eyes and a finite mind.

The daughter of a college professor, I had been encouraged to read widely and think for myself. I had majored in philosophy at Wellesley College and had almost completed my masters degree in child development at Tufts University. A few months earlier, my brother had asked me to read Francis Schaeffers Escape from Reason. To my great surprise and delight, that small book had answered questions Id long before dismissed as unanswerable. It was the intellectual integrity of Schaeffers books that had drawn me to this pristine place. I was searching for absolute, unchanging trutha foundation on which to build my life.

Shortly after I settled into the home I shared with other students, I met a gifted counselor who had come from the Swiss branch of LAbri to talk with some of us. I went into the room where she was waiting, and she told me to close the door. Before I even had time to sit down, she asked her first question: Are you a Christian? I answered that I wasnt sure; I wanted to be a Christian, but I didnt really understand why I needed Jesus. I thought that knowing God might be enough. Her second question was: What can you not forgive yourself for? This question brought me face to face with my sinfulness, and immediately I understood my need for Jesusto save me from my many sins. Later, when I was alone, I asked Him to forgive all my sins and to be my Savior-God.