When I picked up Streams
in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman at a library book sale a few years ago, I had
never heard of it. After after I fell in love with what I thought was an obscure
little devotional book, I discovered it was actually a best seller. L.B. Cowman was a missionary with her husband
overseas until his health declined. Then they returned to the United States
where she took care of him for six years until he died. She collected the writings that satisfied her
thirst in those dry, desolate days.
Those writings were compiled into a book and first published in 1925.
Zondervan has just released the Streams in the Desert devotional Bible in the NIV translation. The daily devotional readings are placed
within the Bible, each near the Scripture verse or passage that is key to the
subject of the day. The editor, Jim
Reimann, added some features such as references to every Scripture quote, which
enable the reader to easily look it up in this Bible within its context. At the bottom of the page of each reading, he provides
the page number to find the next devotional reading. In the back of the book, he provides a
subject index for finding a daily devotion in the topic of interest.
At first I thought it was easier just to have the
devotional book separate from the Bible, but the further along I traveled
through the Bible, the more I appreciated having it compiled in one book. I could use the devotional readings to pace
my way through the Bible, incorporating Bible reading with it. This is not a study Bible, just a devotional
Bible, so no historical or exegetical explanations are provided. However, I did enjoy being able to see the
devotional’s Scripture references within its biblical context.
I was provided a
complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan in exchange for my honest
review.
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