Daily Devotional Based on the Spiritual Classic He and I

Speak in your own words; make up songs and prayer for Me as they come to your mind. Be My little companion; I am yours. I have never left you since you were born, and even before you ever came into the world, I thought of you with such tenderness. Thank your God for all that came from His heart for you, My little girl, and show your gratitude by asking Me to help you (July 16, 1942).

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16).

For thou didst form my inward parts,
    thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful.
    Wonderful are thy works! (Psalm 139:13-14).

¹⁷ pray constantly, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

O Lord we thank You that You want to hear from us in our own words, and prayers, and even songs. Yes, You even want to hear us sing songs! You have known us from before we ever came into the world, we are fearfully and wonderfully made! And You want us to be Your companion now and into Eternity. You hold each one of in Your Heart, the Heart that was pierced for us! So let us show our gratitude always by depending on You because we are nothing and You are all yet You love each one of us individually and personally.

Daily Devotional Based on the Spiritual Classic He and I

Oneness. I come back to this thought again and again. Why do you live all alone when you can be in Me at every moment? In Me: that’s Heaven itself without the face-to-face vision and the rapture. Then practice this at-one-ment. Practice adoration and tenderness.- Act just as though you could see Me. It’s such a good practice for your faith. And faith brings hope and love. (July 10, 1943).

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1).

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).

²⁰ Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;²¹ nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”^[ (Luke 17:20-21).

O Lord it can be so hard to believe. That You really want to be united to us. To be one with us just as You and the Father are one (John 10:30). That we are never alone- that the Kingdom of God is not some far away external thing but it is really within us. And that we can begin living Heaven already right here on Earth! All of this takes faith which is the conviction of things unseen. So let us practice adoration and tenderness in faith that You are always with us increasing our hope and our love!

A Devotional Based On The Spiritual Classic He And I

Begin afresh every day as through it were the very first. You are forever at the beginning. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and I know. Is there anything I don’t know? All the same, I like you to tell Me where you have failed and to explain yourself to Me. It brings out your confidence in Me. (July 10, 1941)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23).

“Remember not the former things,
    nor consider the things of old.
¹⁹ Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3).

O Lord I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning! That each day we can begin again- You tell us we are forever at the beginning. And it is so easy to just be stuck in the past including our regrets and our mistakes, and yes our sins, and just replay them again and again in our heads. But You tell us not to remember the former things but to see the new thing You are doing in our lives each day as You make a way for us in the wildernesses and deserts of our lives. You know everything about us and yet You want us to tell You all about it in our poverty knowing it is You who will lift us up each day as we sing praises each morning to You in complete confidence!

Daily Devotional Based on the Spiritual Classic He and I

Who is your God, you or I? Then why don’t you think of Me, more than of yourself?

³ “You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in thy sight,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14).

³ Thou dost keep him in perfect peace,
    whose mind is stayed on thee,
    because he trusts in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

O Lord, how much time we spend thinking about ourselves. Most of us think about ourselves pretty much 24:7. And yet we say we love You and want to follow You. But the reality is from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Because if we are thinking of ourselves we can be sure we are also talking about ourselves. And we wonder why we are full of fear, anxiety, and worry- maybe even anger and resentment because with You we can do nothing! (John 15:45). And without You, we really aren’t even good (Mark 10:18). Because all good gifts including goodness and kindness come from You! You are Our God, and it is by keeping our eyes and mind fixed on You that You can truly live in us and we can live in Your perfect peace, trusting in You! So let’s smash those idols we have made for ourselves and of ourselves and let us truly walk with You today Lord!

A Devotional Based on the Spiritual Classic He and I

Offer Me these little annoyances like your thorns to ease the pain of My own. (July 2, 1939)

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, (Colossians 1:24).

¹⁸ I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  (Romans 8:18).

O Lord we all have little annoyances that happen to us each day. In the reading above, Gabrielle Bossis had lost her reduced fare pass for the train. If we wanted to we could find plenty to complain about in a day- waiting in line at the grocery store, technology in our life that seems to become more difficult to manage especially as we age, every day aches and pains. But what if we didn’t complain but we rejoiced, yes, rejoice because these sufferings added to Yours not only console You but they save souls! In union with You they do good for all! And the sufferings of our time on Earth, big and small. are not worth comparing with the glory that awaits us in Heaven! The reading in He and I goes on with You complimenting Gabrielle for smiling on the train at others despite the difficulties. And that is what You ask of us, nothing big, just a smile, or angry words held back, or just breathing rather than reacting. These little virtues, as St. Francis de Sales call them, increase our patience and make us most like You!