His Encouragement #167

Welcome to His Encouragement Thursday! I don’t know about you, but Thursdays are my struggle day of the week. By Thursday, I have already been working hard at school and at home, and I just wish it would hurry up and be Friday already. LOL! I definitely need a little extra Jesus time on Thursdays.

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your Word.
Psalm 119:114 (ESV)

For the last month or so I have been reading up on Corrie ten Boom. There are several reasons for this. First, I feel like ten Boom’s era and our modern times are very similar. I have been reading the writing on the wall for a while and it is pretty clear that the abhorrent mistakes of the past will be repeated again in one way or another … and most likely very soon. Second, I am in awe of ten Boom’s unwavering faith even through seriously evil circumstances. God was no doubt her hiding place. I am hopeful that if I can learn about ten Boom and her faith, perhaps my courage and strength in troubling times will grow a little stronger.

I believe with all my heart that God is my hiding place. I trust that His Word is real and true, and more relevant today than perhaps in any other time in history. But I still have stupid, stupid fear that I battle on the daily. I hate that I still battle fear, but I do. So, I’m hopeful for a little extra encouragement from a wonderful woman who really illustrated a life centered on Jesus no matter what.

In my reading up on ten Boom I discovered a new devotional that released just this past October. It’s called God is My Hiding Place: 40 Devotions for Refuge and Strength. Then I discovered that I could get a copy of this devotional on NetGalley — was God giving me a sign to read this book, or what?!

I really love this devotional and I highly recommend it, which is saying a lot because I am not normally a devotional kind of gal.

So, what do I love? I like the set-up. Each devotional is broken down in the same way. There is a topic, followed by a related topical Biblical verse, then a fabulous story from Corrie ten Boom, and finally a prayer to wrap-up the topic. The topics are varied, but include things like happiness, healing for the brokenhearted, forgiveness, and being in the center of God’s will. I really love the flow of each devotion, too. And ten Boom’s stories are simply amazing. I appreciate how encouraged I’ve become from reading about all the things she went through and overcame. Her faith that God would see her through is evident throughout ten Boom’s stories, and her love for Jesus is infectious. I appreciate the reminders that God is our Hiding Place. No matter what scary thing we go through, God will be there with us every step of the way.

If you are struggling with discouragement or fear or any other kind of issue, I highly recommend checking out a copy of God is My Hiding Place: 40 Devotions for Refuge and Strength. Added to your daily Bible Studies, this little devotional could be the thing to help remind you that God is here for you right this very second. He will always be your Hiding Place. I don’t know about you, but I am super grateful God is available to me for this purpose.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Bethany House Publishing, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.