40 Days In God's Presence: A Devotional Encounter [Hardcover]

Rebecca Barlow Jordan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2006

Bestselling author Rebecca Barlow Jordan encourages readers to spend 40 days embracing a more intimate relationship with God. Through character studies from the pages of Scripture, readers are brought face-to-face with a God who loves them more than they can imagine.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Do you enjoy God?" This is a question that Jordan, a freelance author and greeting card writer, has posed to Christians over the years. She discovered that although many honored, worshiped and feared God, few seemed to enjoy Him and seek His presence. She wrote this devotional to invite readers into biblical stories that offer a glimpse of some aspect of God's love and glory. Every devotional needs a gimmick, and this one is no different: it's a 40-day "devotional encounter" that comes with the usual trappings (an opening scripture for each day's devotion, Jordan's meditation and then a brief prayer and a question for personal reflection). Despite the tired format, some of the content is fresh and innovative, particularly since Jordan includes not only the usual biblical subjects (Noah, David, Job), but little-told stories about Elisha, Elijah, Stephen, Gideon and Habakkuk. Jordan has a gift for noticing oft-overlooked details in these stories and helping readers see their application to life today. She shares stories from her own life, marriage and ministry to illuminate the principles she's teaching. There are a few awkward moments in the book, particularly in the seemingly forced "personal truth" aphorisms at the end of each chapter, but overall this is a winning devotional from a perceptive evangelical writer.
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About the Author

Rebecca Barlow Jordan is an inspirational speaker and author of numerous books, including the popular devotionals Daily in Your Presence, Intimate Conversations with a Loving Father, and Daily in Your Image, Reflecting the Character of Christ. She also co-authored the best-selling series, Courage for the Chicken Heated, and has penned over 1600 inspirational pieces for greeting cards, magazines, and gift products. With warmth and transparency, Rebecca loves to share beautiful reflections from the Fatherâs heart at womenâs conferences, churches, and retreats. She lives in Texas with her husbandâan associate pastor. She has been a Bible study teacher for many years, and as trained marriage enrichment leaders, she and her husband also enjoy facilitating marriage enrichment retreats. Rebeccaâs family includes two married daughters and sons-in-law and two grandchildren. Her passions include reading, gardening, spending time with family, and learning about the Fatherâs

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (January 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446577863
• ISBN-13: 978-0446577861
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,318,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drawn into His presence, January 24, 2006

By 

Jill M. Rigby (Baton Rouge, LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 40 Days In God's Presence: A Devotional Encounter (Hardcover)

I had to stop on the second day of my 40 journey with Rebecca Barlow Jordan to praise this beautiful book. I must confess I've become so entrenched that I've continued reading well past day two. She has an easy style that draws you with a desire to know more. With this insightful perspective of God's presence in my life, I have been reminded that He is as close as the air I breathe.
Thank you for a fresh encounter with our living Lord.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Inspiration for the New Year, January 31, 2006

By 

FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 40 Days In God's Presence: A Devotional Encounter (Hardcover)

Need to jumpstart your New Year's resolution to spend more devotional time with God? Although it's designed to be picked up anytime (not just the New Year), Rebecca Barlow Jordan's 40 DAYS IN GOD'S PRESENCE: A Devotional Encounter might be a good place to begin.

If you're a reader who likes structure, these devotions will be your cup of tea. Each devotional reading follows the same format. First, Jordan chooses a biblical character or event to center the devotion on. In "The God of Visual Lessons," the reader learns about God's control and design for the world and his ability to speak through object lessons as she tells the story of the prophet Jeremiah watching a potter and his wheel. Sometimes, she weaves in a contemporary story, as when she writes of Caleb urging the Israelites to face the giants, and then tells of a young woman overcoming the "giants" of multiple physical handicaps. Jordan sometimes adds personal anecdotes, although they can be a little vague (she alludes to a rocky time in her marriage, but doesn't get more specific than this). Her tone is consistently conversational, warm and friendly.

One of the most heartfelt devotions centers on the term of endearment "Abba," with which we are invited to address our heavenly father. Jordan deftly weaves both biblical context for the usage and contemporary story together to give the reader a new appreciation of the love God has for his children.

Another, centered on Job, may inspire some discussion over her final conclusion that "Sometimes in the presence of God, silence may well be the best policy," which is a little confusing and perhaps debatable. It might be argued that there's nothing wrong with asking God hard questions (as David did in the Psalms) as long as we recognize we may never have answers in this life that we understand. (God knows our questions anyway!) Perhaps the key point she makes is that we can always approach God and find grace for our circumstances. A good reminder.

At the end of each four to five page devotion is a "Personal Truth" that neatly summarizes the point of the devotion, followed by a "Personal Prayer" that the reader is invited to pray to apply the devotional truth. Then Jordan asks a "Personal Question" designed for reflection. "When was the last time you had a true God encounter? Is there someone God wants you to speak to, or something for which you need to take a stand? When do you most enjoy God?"

New Christians or those unfamiliar with the Bible will find that Jordan usually does a good job giving background on her characters or events, although sometimes the reader will need to do some additional reading for context (in one devotion, for example, the Sermon on the Mount is referenced but not explained).

Unfortunately, the temptation to use cute sayings crops up, which may put off more serious readers ("When it rains, it pours. But when he reigns, the Son shines" or about Bathsheba: "her pregnancy test turned up pink. But David suddenly didn't feel in the pink.") She also cites some examples that need endnotes (such as the woman who left her toddler in the car, or the twin volleyball players). However, many of the writers quoted and referenced by Jordan are well-chosen (Brother Lawrence, Richard Foster, Oswald Chambers) and many readers will appreciate her cheerful, upbeat tone.

Christians looking for short, scripture-based devotions with personal applications will enjoy this volume. Those who find it helpful will be able to follow it in July 2006 with Jordan's 40 DAYS IN GOD'S BLESSING.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

5.0 out of 5 stars Refresher course, January 28, 2006

By 

Jeanne Zornes (Wenatchee, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 40 Days In God's Presence: A Devotional Encounter (Hardcover)

Sometimes in reading the Bible, we forget that its real stories of real people stretch across the centuries to our daily lives. The stresses and growing-places of Bible-time people are also ours and show how we should live before God today. As Rebecca Barlow Jordan re-creates each Bible story, she invites us to seek more of God's presence in our own lives. Don't be misled by the brevity (four pages) of each devotional guide. Taken a day at a time, thought-through and prayed-over, this book can be a life-changer.