“He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3
For the New Year, my thoughts turn to a book written by my friend James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000). It’s called Come to the Waters. It’s a year-long devotional compiled from Jim Boice’s writings by D. Marion Clark who was one of the pastors who followed Dr. Boice at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. I intend to use this book as my morning devotional for 2023.
I can call Dr. Boice “Jim” because he was a close friend. I was privileged to know him and his family and his teaching influenced me tremendously.
I was involved with the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy that Jim and others initiated. He also invited me to be part of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Then I insisted that he become a Bible Study Fellowship board member. During those years he often traveled to Africa with us. He loved to travel. I remember one trip when he left our party in Africa and traveled alone to see the penguins at the tip of South Africa. He loved God’s creation and wanted to see all of it.
But it was Jim’s teaching of the Bible that endeared him to all who knew him. Besides being pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, his radio program The Bible Study Hour and his conferences known as the PCRT (Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology) have helped thousands of people know the Bible. Jim was a brilliant Christian and wrote more than 60 books.
Jim died in June of 2000 at the age of 60 (incidentally the same month I retired as Director of BSF). I remember well the day he called me to tell me that he had pancreatic cancer and had only a short time to live. When I was sufficiently over my shock to utter a word, I asked him what he wanted me to pray for him. He said, “Just pray that my death will glorify God.” It did.
That is why when P&R published Come to the Waters, a whole year of Jim’s teaching, I decided to use it for my devotional for 2023.
I hope you will too!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Thank you for this recommendation, Rosemary. I will look into this at first opportunity.
ReplyDeleteRosemary, I finally figured out why I was suddenly unable to post a comment! I am on Jan. 2 of Come To The Waters and enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I meant to tell you that I have passed your recommendation on to my sisters!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rosemary. I love reading your blog! I have had Come to the Waters on my bookshelf for many years and have never read it. I will begin today. I am still in AWE of Dr. Boice and remember every moment of the Summer Institute when he taught Romans - and the scales fell from my eyes - and I "beheld the beauty" of God's Sovereign Grace!
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