“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse.  “You become. It takes a long time…Generally by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.” – The Velveteen Rabbit

When I think about my favorite books, they are well-worn traveling companions, stained and slowly coming apart. Bindings broken, pages missing, and covers falling off display a lengthy love affair – they’ve become Real.  Other than the Bible, there is no book that has encouraged me more than Daily Light. Years ago, my mother gave me a copy and it has met me through joys and sorrows, hope and pain, always faithfully leading me into the Word of God.

Daily Light is divided into Morning and Evening readings of Scripture arranged according to various themes (See an ESV online version here). The Bagster family compiled these passages for family devotions sometime in the late 18th century. Since its publication, generations of believers have benefited from experiencing God’s Word in such an accessible and devotional format.

For me, Daily Light has been a picture of the Lord’s faithfulness to comfort and care for me through His Word. Many times, I’ve marked the specific date when the passages for that day particular met the circumstances that I faced. The day I found out I was miscarrying, all the verses spoke of the shortness of one’s life. Contemplating that all lives fade as quickly as a flower in the field comforted me in the midst of mourning a baby that I would never know on this side of eternity.

 

When my father suffered a heart attack and stroke, the verses for that day all dealt with Jesus knowing our griefs and entering into our sorrows. Through the Word, the tender care of my Father met me in the midst of my fears and heartache.

The Lord has also met me as I’ve struggled through my own inadequacies.  In the midst of the excitement of writing another book, I also felt the weight of fear: Can I do this again?  Knowing that He would be my refuge and strength, spurred me on to trust in the Lord.

So many times the Scriptures chosen over two hundred years ago for that day speak directly to the circumstance I am facing. They are faithful reminders of the Lord’s goodness and the power of the Word to be living and active in our lives (Hebrews 4:12).

If you’re looking for a devotional to accompany your daily Bible study, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Daily Light. There are many online versions, but I admit that I love my copy by Anne Graham Lotz.  It has been an active experience for me of the truth of Psalm 119:50, “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”