Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Hope: An Intro

After reading Nancy Guthrie's Holding Onto Hope, I decided to order The One Year Book of Hope. And Oh, I am so glad I did! I am already hearing the things that I need to and I'm only on day two! The words are so penetrating to my heart that I can't help but share them with you. One year seems like a long time. The longest 'devotional' that I will have ever committed to. I am confident though, that I will come out on the other side with my broken heart bound up and with a sweet intimacy with Jesus unlike any I have experienced thus far.

What touched me from the introduction was one word: manna. After losing her daughter Hope, Nancy's sister-in-law left a message taped to her mirror, "Don't forget the Manna." Nancy explains how the Israelites, while wandering in the wilderness, needed a fresh supply of it daily to sustain them and how we need that same daily sustenance from God. Especially during this time of grief {my personal wilderness}, I feel like I need His strength, compassion, & care, now more than ever. These words especially spoke to me:

I discovered that nothing else really satisfies or soothes our suffering except the Word of God. Revenge, ritual, and retreat are all short-term solutions that bring no lasting comfort.

I am desperate for that comfort she speaks of & know that it will come only from one place: the truth of His word. So today, I'm not forgetting my manna.





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3 comments:

Monica said...

It's it great! I wanted to start reading it to everyone. It was like see, this is what I am feeling, this is the verse I need to hear today!!!

chadandnikki said...

Fantastic. I had never thought of "manna" as more than food. Thanks.

Nancy Guthrie said...

Becki—
I came upon this today and I'm wondering how it's going. I hope God continues to feed you every day with his Word and that you're finding real companionship and insight in The One Year Book of Hope. Be sure to check out my new book, Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow.
Blessings—