Books by Val Baker

"A rabbi once told me that the right place to start reading the Bible was in the book of Psalms. It's an interesting thought isn't it? You might think to begin at the beginning, or to first learn the historical story, or attempt to understand its high theology. So, why the Psalms? Because the Psalms operate out of relationship, and that's where your walk with God begins. And continues. It's also wonderful to us to consider that the Psalms were the prayer-book of Jesus. He knew its songs intimately, and in fact he quotes the book of Psalms more than any other book. The reason is that Jesus lived in a warm and constant relationship with Father God, such as I can barely imagine. But we want to imagine it! More- we desire to live it. It's a life of happy trust; of constant awareness; and confident expectation. This little book is split into thirty short chapters with the idea of spending a month reading some of the Psalms, and seeking that relationship with the Father that Jesus enjoyed."

This is the third in a series of daily Bible readings for Morning Devotions. It runs from July to September. "Is there no refuge from strife? Is there no place of refreshing where a man can prepare for the battle of life? Is there no place where two or three can gather in Jesus' name, to forget for the moment all those things that divide nation from nation and race from race, to forget human pride, to forget the passions of war, to forget the puzzling problems of industrial strife, and to unite in overflowing gratitude at the foot of the Cross? If there be such a place, then that is the house of God and that the gate of heaven. And from under the threshold of that house will go forth a river that will revive the weary world." This is from 'Christianity & Liberalism', by J. Gresham Machen. It also gives a great picture of what morning devotions can look like.