Here at Rooted we have long been fans for the original Mockingbird Devotional. It speaks to every reader: teen, parent, pastor, friend. Every single day the Gospel is proclaimed, its ancient truths shared in language both contemporary and timeless.
If it’s possible, Daily Grace, The Mockingbird Devotional Vol. 2 is even better.
From the introduction:
We search for deliverance everywhere: in relationships, in work, in the escapism of a good book or TV show. WE may find ourselves scanning the Self-Help section at the bookstore where we can find trios for getting healthy and tricks for cultivating purpose, meaning, or passion. But unfortunately the listicles so often amount to mere demands- advice and endless suggestions that are powerless to bring about the help we need. It’s a lot like the classic New Yorker cartoon that takes place on a crowded beach: Just off the shore, sharks encircle a flailing swimmer while a lifeguard looks on disinterestedly. The caption reads, ” Visualize yourself not dying, and then be that reality.”
But as the 1928 Book of Common Prayer boldly put it, ” we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves.” If you have ever felt like that flailing swimmer – or if you currently feel like that flailing swimmer- then this devotional is for you.
If we could save ourselves, we would. Hard as we try, we can’t. But we need wise people who, like us, have been there, tried that, and have found that only Jesus saves. Sixty-three men and women contributed to this yearlong daily devotional, and every one of them reminds readers of that glorious, life-giving, peace-inspiring truth.
Here’s a sample, from Rooted Student Series writer Margaret Pope:
The Lord your God is in your midst; A mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)
In The Magician’s Nephew, CS Lewis tells the story of Polly and Digory, two children who use magical rings to travel between worlds. Eventually they end up in a world of complete darkness. As they sit in the dark, a voice begins to sing. Lewis narrates the scene: “There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noice [Digory] had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.” The powerful voice belongs to Aslan, and it brings the land of Narnia to life.
Aslan’s singing causes the stars to appear in the sky and the sun to rise, revealing vibrant colors and valleys and rivers. Lewis comments that such developments were exciting for the bystanders; that is, “until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else.”
The chaos of today, and the lies of the Enemy, can be deafening; our whole world can feel dark and empty. And yet, we have the promise of God’s presence, a roaring Lion whose singing brings light into our lives. And when that light reveals his face, allowing us to bask in his glory and might, everything else fades away. We see a loving Father who owes us nothing- and yet chooses to sing and rejoice over his children- not because of anything we’ve done but because of the immense love he has for us.
