Jesus Lives

The devotional is great. There are a few wrinkled pages, but not bad.

Jesus Lives by Sarah Young is an awesome devotional book. It is uniquely written, is Biblically based, and talks about topics that can really be applied to your life. Sarah Young wrote this book in a writing style that I have never seen before. Each of the one hundred and eighty devotions is written as if from Jesus to us. Every devotion is based on the Bible, (which is important because we all need to be feeding on the word every day), and she includes several verses that apply to each topic. My favorite thing about this book is that all of the topics really do apply to my life. The topics include: Adversity, Control, Depending on Him, Desiring Him, Endurance, His Faithfulness, Fear, The Future, Heaven, Grace, Prayer, and Renewing your mind. One of the devotions that I found to be really true is the one on fear. "Fearfulness is a form of bondage. ... People are born into a world in spiritual bondage, including bondage to fear. Because you inhabit both a fallen world and a fallen body, it isn't easy to break free from fearfulness. However, the spirit of adoption can help you in this struggle, enabling you to see yourself as you truly are: a much-loved child of God!" Isn't that true? Through these devotions (and many more) Sarah Young addresses real questions and problems that you and I face in our everyday lives. As a result of tackling these real life issues, spending time in God's word and in prayer you grow in your relationship in Jesus.

"No matter what trails you are enduring, you can count on My Love and My compassion - neither of which will ever fail. I can bring good out of everything I allow in your life, but much of what I do is far beyond your understanding." ~ pg. 218 Imagine a book in which Jesus speaks to you personally. As you turn each page you will find Sarah Young's interpretation of biblical passages to be inspiring. On the left are the words she imagines Christ would say and on the right there are the Bible verses that point to the truth of her message. Some of the topics discussed include: Attitude, Brokenness, Emptiness, Endurance, Faith, Fear, Heaven, Hope, Idolatry, Peace, Prayer, Sorrow, Thankfulness, Trust, Victorious Living, Wisdom, Worry and Worship. Sarah Young's desire is for you to encounter the "living savior." In this she succeeds. This is a beautiful book filled with messages from a loving savior. It is meant to be savored not read through in one sitting. It took me a few months to read through all the devotional passages but it was worth it. I think I will now read through it again. It really is that good. For me at least, it gave me a sense of inner peace. ~The Rebecca Review

The selections in this book are just the right length, simple but thought-provoking and paired perfectly with biblical quotes. I especially admire the thoughtfulness that went into designing the book. It is small enough to carry with you, but sturdy enough that it will not easily be damaged. The bookmark is a nice touch. The cover is firm but also soft to the touch, making it perfect for holding in one hand during prayer and contemplation. The pages are nice and thick and just a little glossy, to stand up to much wear and use. It is a lovely little book that will stand the test of time and makes a wonderful gift.

"Jesus Lives" is an excellent devotional. Sarah Young tells us in her introduction that she wrote it with a focus upon God's astonishing love for His children." On most topics God's love radiates from the pages. "Jesus Lives" is different from other devotional books I have read. The format consists of two page devotions (pages facing) for each topic. The left hand page presents the loving concept, while the right hand page gives us quotations from scripture relevant to the topic. "Jesus Lives" is not organized like a daily devotional, but rather by reoccurring themes . The book provides an excellent guide in the front of the text that functions as an index. The book is simple to use and the devotions are very well written. I like the broad range of topics addressed in this text. I especially enjoyed the commentaries on each devotion. Sarah writes as if God is talking to us. She does an excellent job of presenting God's loving guidance. The recommended way is to read a theme and then meditate upon how to apply the truth to your life. The writing is good enough, however, that I started reading it straight through. This book is a superior spiritual resource for meditating on many of the questions about faith and the challenges that we encounter in our daily lives. Some of her topics are: Brokenness; Protection; Weakness; Sorrow; Depending on Him; Intimacy with Him; and Thankfulness. Her guidance on each concept is solid and useful. "Jesus Lives" is an excellent book for Christians. I highly recommend it.

Jesus Lives is a gift style devotional book. The 180 devotions make for a half year of study. The main focus, through stunning first person narrative, is finding and recognizing the powerful, all-inclusive, never-changing love of Jesus. The author captures, as no other devotion I've read lately, a heartfelt tone and feeling. You truly believe these words passed directly to her from the Holy Spirit. I received the book just before the week of Thanksgiving, so I decided to start reading with the devotions on Thankfulness. Honestly, the very first one I read smacked me over the head! I had to keep reading. Some time later, I realized I'd read a week's worth of devotions in one day. I don't want to stop reading, I only have so I can get the full force of my feelings behind my review. I want to give a copy of this to every person I know. This book is going to change lives. This book is powerful, Scripture-based Truth from God. I feel blessed just in the part I have read and I cannot wait to read through the entire book. This book is making me want more. It's making me want that personal, intimate time with God daily. It will be on my nightstand. It will be a daily reminder of the love Jesus has for each and every one of us. It will be read aloud to my children. I will give copies to friends for gifts. I cannot recommend this book enough. You have to read it. You will not be the same after you have. I am a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program. I received no monetary compensation for my opinions. A copy of the book was provided for me to read, in exchange for my honest opinions of the book. Go here to learn more about the program: [...]