Over on the main blog, I detailed my summer reading list. There are some incredible books on there, books that I revisit often. And while I did include one devotional, there are two more I’d like to detail here for those that appreciate a little more depth.
More days than not, I read both of these devotionals. They help me start my day. They get me in the right headspace. They orient me. When I read them, I can tell. When I don’t read them, I can tell.
The first one is “Morning and Evening” by Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon was called “the prince of preachers.” His insights and words are some of the deepest you will find. His reverence for God is contagious. Each day includes a short morning devotional and a short evening devotional. I don’t always do the evening one since I’m more of a morning guy, but it’s nice to know you can bookend your day with incredible insight if you’d like. The version I hyperlinked is updated and has modernized Spurgeon’s old English, making it a much easier and more accessible read. I’d recommend that one.
The second devotional is from a more modern theologian. It’s called “New Morning Mercies” by Paul David Tripp. In some ways, I consider it the modern equivalent of Spurgeon’s classic. Tripp’s devotion devotes one page to every day of the year, meaning it’s exhaustive but not exhausting. And yet the insights are needed. It’s digestible and practical, filled with relatable stories and anecdotes. Some days, Tripp even provides you with a poem to switch it up, but he always gives you a scripture reference for further study. Historically, I start with Spurgeon and then end with Tripp because I like going from the more ethereal to the more practical.
Until I found these two devotionals, my daily “quiet time” was sparse. However, both of these books helped get me in the habit of daily spending time with God. I’ll be honest: Some days, it’s hard to carve out the time, but these two devotionals make that a lot easier. I don’t have to think much about it. I just open them up and go.
And in the end, that’s been really important for me. To just do it. I’d encourage you to do the same.