The Hole Of Insecurity and The Fragrance Of Worship

front-tree-branches-winterWe are found by God, as much as we ever find Him.

It’s the struggle, the dance, the tension of the push and pull and movement, that disheartens us and creates an insecurity that becomes a black hole, a place of death.

Then, God finds us. He sends angels, angels in the form of friends, voices, birds, bumper stickers and words, and he comes into the hole with us. George Herbert, in one of his most beautiful poems, suggests that He sits with us in that place. Then, after a short time, He rises, our hand in his, and welcomes us to leave the place of fear.

We rise with Him, or demand He stay. When we rise with Him, worship’s fragrance fills the space around us, between us, over us, under us.

We come to life, and worship is the new breath that fills our lungs.

AVAILABLE NOW

Sheltering Mercy and Endless Grace help us rediscover the rich treasures of the Psalms—through free-verse prayer renderings of their poems and hymns—as a guide to personal devotion and meditation. Sheltering Mercy helps the reader pray Psalms 1-75; Endless Grace leads in prayer through Psalms 76-150.

The church has always used the Psalms as part of its prayer life, and they have inspired countless other prayers. Each book contains 75 prayers drawn from the Book of Psalms, providing lyrical sketches of what authors Ryan Smith and Dan Wilt have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning there. Each prayer is a response to the Psalms written in harmony with Scripture. These prayers help us quiet our hearts before God and welcome us into a safe place amid the storms of life.

These artful, poetic, and classic devotional books are a perfect gift, and feature compelling stunning illustrations and hardcover binding, offering a fresh way to reflect on and pray the Psalms. Co-written with Ryan Whitaker Smith, Brazos Publishing.

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