I’ve been reading Ann Spangler’s devotional “Praying the names of God,” for years now. I connect with her writings. She paints a picture of our Risen Savior every time. As you read through the devotions, it’s like inviting Jesus to sit and have coffee with you.

“When Jesus was at the table with them, he took some bread, gave thanks, divided it, and gave it to them. And then, they were allowed to recognize Jesus. But when they saw who he was, he disappeared. They said to each other, “It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:30-32‬ ‭NCV‬‬

There have been such times as when I have read Ann’s devotionals that I have felt that same experience. Ann’s descriptions of Jesus are so vivid you feel as if He has entered your room and has begun to teach you Himself.

Each of these books go through the many characteristics of our Great and mighty God. Reading through each trait and name of God pulls you in closer to see how wonderful our Savior is.

Last week I received the honor and privilege of being on Ann’s launch book team for her new book, “Less Than Perfect.” I am waiting to receive the book and can’t wait to get started reading it and passing on to you the wisdom I gain from it. Ann’s writes from the position that I write. She sees her story in the good and the bad of the people in the Bible. That is exactly what happens to me everytime I write. God reveals my story, my hopes, my dreams, and my solutions have already been written through the hero’s and heroines and the villains of His written word.

As I said in my recent book launch, “What’s been done before will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun with the Lord.” Mankind seems to be on peat and repeat mode. We cannot create a new sin that God hasn’t already forgiven. We became a broken people the moment the bite was taken. Since then mankind cannot seem to break the cycle of hurt and hurting others. Our stories are written in the pages of God’s word. They have already been lived in the imperfect people found in the Bible. That’s why I cannot wait to start Ann’s new book, “Less Than Perfect.”

Below is a sample of Ann’s descriptive writing from her newest devotional, “God is Long of Nose.” Enjoy!

Ann Spangler

---

God Is Long of Nose Posted: 28 Jun 2018 03:23 AM PDT During the first semester of my freshman year in college, I was required to take a natural science course. During one class, the professor asked the students to measure their noses. Though I don’t remember the point of this strange exercise, which might have been about understanding terms like “mean,” “mode,” and “average,” I do remember that I was the proud possessor of the shortest nose in the class. Though I haven’t thought of that incident for many years, the memory returned once I began studying the biblical meaning of the Hebrew idiom for patience, which can also be translated as “longsuffering” or “slow to anger.” The phrase is ’erek ’appayim, which is literally translated “long of nose.” Armed with that information, you now realize that Exodus 34:6 could be translated like this: “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am long of nose and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” In English having a long nose means you have a habit of lying.  But in Hebrew it means you have a habit of being patient. Though God’s nature is to be patient, he can be provoked. Consider Psalm 18:7 which depicts God’s anger, saying “Smoke poured from his nostrils.” The psalmist evokes the image of flared nostrils and a nose that’s red with rage. Because God is slow to anger, it takes a long time for his nose to get red. According to Proverbs, having a long nose is associated with wisdom and great understanding. It also enables the wise person to calm those who are quarreling.  By contrast, those with a qebar ’appayim, a short nose, are quick tempered and impatient. They are hotheads and fools. The next time you feel your face flushing scarlet or your nose turning red, remember the phrase “long of nose.” Allow yourself to enjoy the humor of that image. It may prevent you from becoming impatient and doing something foolish. Remember also that frustration, irritation, annoyance, and anger is not God’s default setting. Patience is. When he looks at you and others, his heart is filled with so much love and faithfulness that he is always ’erek ’appayim. In English having a long nose means you have a habit of lying. But in Hebrew it means you have a… Click To Tweet According to Proverbs, having a long nose is associated with wisdom and great understanding. It… Click To Tweet   From Praying the Attributes of God

You are subscribed to email updates from Ann Spangler. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States