Developing disciplined habits of devotion

Clifford Denton reviews ‘Beloved Warrior’ by Gail Dixon (ICT Media Tech/Print, 2019)

Gail Dixon has been in Christian ministry and missionary work for nearly 40 years, first with World Horizons and more lately leading its sister organisation, Nations Trust. This inspiring devotional book emerges from her wide-ranging experiences and is based on personal reflection over a long life of discipleship.

One imagines her sitting before the Lord, after all these years of walking with him and praying to him, and being inspired to share the most central aspects of her relationship with him. What has resulted is a book is about the covenant love of Jesus within the battle for the salvation of many - hence the title, Beloved Warrior.

The Battle and the Warrior

Gail includes some remarkable accounts of the intensity of this wider battle, which have resulted in fruit being borne for the Kingdom in lives saved and transformed by Jesus’ love. The accounts draw on both scriptural examples, of those who have gone before, and a multitude of modern-day examples.

But even though the book is about the battle for salvation, the book is structured around and focused on Jesus, the Beloved Warrior. Each of its ten chapters focus on a different characteristic of our Saviour and our relationship with him, including prayer, worship, rest, perseverance, faithfulness and surrender.

Beautiful Writing

Gail seeks to draw the reader into experiencing the Lord’s love and sharing it with others, whatever the commitment and cost. Her writing is scriptural, tender and powerful:

His warfare is full of mercy, full of healing, because the weapon is love. He woos us, through our bruising, and breathes onto us when our flame is dying. He longs for us to know that we are His beloved. He is never discouraged, and as we stand into His love, so we too will discover that we are warriors. His love, His power, flows through us. (p271)

All income from the book will be donated to the work of Nations Trust.

Beloved Warrior (158pp) is available from Amazon as a paperback (£10) and on Kindle (£2.65).

Maureen Trowbridge reviews ‘The Way of Wisdom: year of daily devotions in the book of Proverbs’ by Timothy Keller (2017, Hodder & Stoughton).

This year-long daily devotional based on the Book of Proverbs is truly inspiring. The wisdom found within its pages, brought forth so well by Timothy Keller, provides a clear understanding of the way we should live the Christian life.

It is also encouraging and challenging how reading through verses from Proverbs, alongside explanations and connections drawn to the words and teachings of Jesus, enables us to draw closer to God and deepen our relationship with him.

Comparing this new venture to his earlier book on the Psalms, ‘My Rock, My Refuge’, Keller says “Psalms is about how to throw ourselves fully upon God in faith. Proverbs is about how, having trusted God, we should then live that faith out. If the Bible were a medicine cabinet, Psalms would be the ointment put on inflamed skin to calm and heal it. Proverbs would be more like smelling salts to startle you into alertness.”

The daily readings are grouped into sets of topics, enabling the reader to accumulate various insights on specific themes, piecing together the wisdom that the book offers on subjects such as ‘Wisdom’, ‘Knowing God’, ‘Knowing the Heart’ ‘Knowing Others’, etc, ending with ‘Knowing Jesus, the true wisdom of God’.

The book is such a blessing and encourages in such a simple and unusual way that I have purchased a copy for myself to read during the coming year! Strongly recommended for its wisdom and special insight into what God has said to us through the Book of Proverbs.

The Way of Wisdom is available from the publisher in hardback and from most Christian book retailers. Also available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle forms.