Gentle Rain on Tender Grass

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When Moses came to bid farewell to the people of Israel, he summarized God’s message to them in a song, opening with the words: `May my teaching drop as the rain … like gentle rain upon the tender grass.’ Grass needs regular rainfall, not just the occasional torrent. And so it is with us. ‘Gentle rain on tender grass’ is a lovely picture of continual, persevering study of the Word of God. There is no substitute for exposing ourselves daily to God’s own infallible, authoritative Word.

In a series of readings designed for daily devotions, Sharon James takes the reader through the first five books of the Bible. These five books are foundational to understanding the story of salvation as taught in the rest of the Bible. All the major themes are highlighted and at the end of each day’s reading a verse of Scripture has been selected to help focus our thoughts on a particular truth throughout the day.

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Endorsements

What do we want from a book of daily devotions? For one thing, an uncomplicated, easy, well-focused style. And then, can we have biblical teaching in a digestible form? Plus, may we please have encouragement and challenge? A tall order, but Sharon James serves it in abundance – and with a major bonus. Anone using ‘Gentle Rain on Tender Grass’ will – almost without noticing it - have been treated to a careful and wise study of the first five books of the Bible. By the final page you may be asking when the next volume will be available!
Sinclair Ferguson
Chancellor's Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary
Jackson, Mississippi
In this book Sharon James has prepared a tonic to stimulate appetite for Bible reading, prayer and meditation. The result is a most palatable mixture of foundational doctrine and warm devotion with a no-nonsense contemporary flavour. To be taken daily before breakfast.
Ann Benton
author
Each day’s devotion is lively, straightforward and easy to read. There are studies for 123 days, with two pages for each day. Sharon James provides a series of studies that are thoughtful, easy to read, challenging and encouraging. Good to own oneself, this book would make an excellent gift to encourage others in their daily devotions.
Evangelicals Now
If you were asked ‘How often do you read your Bible?’ what would be your response be? We all know what the right response should be, but why do we find it so hard to actually read our Bible daily? Deuteronomy 32:2–3 describes the term ‘gentle rain on tender grass’ to emphasise the need for us to be refreshed daily through God’s Word. Reading God’s Word in this way is ‘steady, non–dramatic and refreshing. It is a lovely picture of continual, persevering study of the Word of God.’ The readings are all taken from the Pentateuch. When given this book as a young Christian, my first thought was that I would need a dictionary. However, this was not the case. The devotion were clear, straightforward, and easy to read. No dictionaries needed! There are devotions for 123 days. Throughout the devotions, there are short references to enrich the study, deepen your thinking, whilst expanding your knowledge of the Bible. At the end of the devotions, it concludes with a prayer that you can use for that day. Seeing how Jesus shines through the Old Testament is particularly amazing. The devotions not only help us read our Bible, but helps us to fix our eyes on Jesus day by day. You could use this yourself for your own time with God, but equally it could be used in a group. Either way, it points you to Jesus!
Steph Parsons
To quote from the introduction ‘Gentle rain on tender grass’ is steady, non-dramatic and refreshing. It is a lovely picture of continual, persevering study of the Word of God’. The whole introduction is useful and informative, showing how to get the best out of this book, focussing on our reading of the Bible and related passages and the prayers that arise out of our study. To do the book justice a reviewer would need to use the book as the author intends, all I have been able to do is take an overview and assess my impressions. I found Sharon James daily commentary a meditation of great worth, the prayers she has quoted or written exactly right for the day and the text for the day apposite and memorable. I am able to recommend this book whole heartedly.
Mary Bartholomew