Sure as the Sunrise

This is a lovingly-crafted devotional that will speak straight to a mama's heart. Moving through 100 days, each week has a theme and each day has a verse, a story, and an action item.

If you have read Emily Ley's other books, this devotional has that same voice and even some of the same stories. The reflections cover a variety of topics, from surface-level to more intimate. Mothers will find it relatable, tender, and heart-felt. The book closes with some tips on routines.

This is a great devotional for infusing your day with comfort, faith, and the feeling of a warm hug from a trusted friend.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy to review! I enjoyed it.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publishers. Opinions conveyed are my own.
Scripture Connection

The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue,

fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.

Lam. 3:22-23
Theme/Design

The book has a strong morning theme and the daily devotions are designed to be read in the morning. Frequently, Ley offers a challenge for the day or the week. Overall, I would use the word “refreshment” to describe the key message of the book. It’s a message of rejuvenation in truth, of exchanging the cares of the world for Christ’s light yoke.

Organization

The devotional is divided into twenty chapters, or “weeks,” consisting of five daily devotions, followed by a reflection section with space for written introspection. Then, there’s a simple reminder in pretty cursive on a pink gradient, in honor of the sunrise.

While I’m accustomed to daily devotionals consisting of standalone studies, I really liked this approach, which developed themes over several days, allowing for a deeper dive. Rather than brushing the surface of the topic via short devotional, the reader has the opportunity to revisit the topic, from various angles. The format also makes it easier to relocate a favorite section.

Each titled devotion begins with a verse, followed by several paragraphs of discussion and concluding with a point of personal connection (i.e., a challenge, questions to consider, or a prayer).

A Favorite Quote

May you accept the bountiful grace God is offering you. May you lay down your lists, your tasks and your calendar and allow the Creator of the heavens and earth to renew your spirit, to create abundant space within you for peace, calm and rest.

Emily Ley, Sure as the Sunrise, Day 66
What I Liked

In an addition to the chapter organization, I really enjoyed the content, itself. Ley’s writing is sweet, encouraging and engaging. She invites her readers into her life, as she shares about how the Lord has been present with her in various circumstances. In doing so, she also invites the reader to experience the grace found in Jesus. And the grace she talks about is real— not cheap nor something we can earn. It’s in and from Him.

I especially liked the last part of each devotional, which provided a personal touch point for the reader. These sections offer tangibles in the form of prayers, reflection questions and challenges. My favorites are the written-out prayers, which are honest and do a great job of putting into words than I’ve felt but wouldn’t necessarily know how to express. I also appreciate that the challenges are specific, rather than general.

Emily Ley is well known for creating Simplified® planners and, although I’m not familiar with the product, I definitely see how God has gifted her in this area. Just as planners allow the user to itemize the details of the day, Ley itemizes specific ways to care for one self and rest with Jesus. The tangibles are one of my favorite things about the devotional—and one of the ways it stands out.

On top of the daily interactives, the end of the book includes resources for planning your morning routine (the importance of which is established in the book), along with Emily’s own routine. Again, I appreciate how practical this is, and I think it’s neat that the author is using the gifts God gave her to draw others close to Him. It’s such a blessing (especially for someone with autism—me— who really values specificity and planning).

Audience

Sure as the Sunrise is a women’s devotional, best suited to married moms. There are quite a few references to raising children or at least being married; although the author does provide alternate examples for those who are not, I would say this is the Target readership. Nonetheless, although I’m a single woman, the Lord really used this book for me. There is so much truth and refreshment packed in the pages.

Recommendation Status

This is a great women’s devotional that encourages readers to breathe before the busyness of the day—and spend time with Jesus. While I’d recommend it especially to women who are married and have children, I think it’s a valuable resource for all women, regardless of marital status.

Another lovely book by Emily Ley. She always does an amazing job with her writing. I always feel such a positive attitude when reading her books. I can’t wait to buy the hard copy!

I truly appreciate daily devotionals about several contents of lifestyle. Sometimes, We 're just in need for inspiratiohnal thoughts and motivation to look in another angle or to clear the view about subjects and stuff like that. There are so many ideas and ways to live, But as Christians, We have a major purpose and role model to follow up, and We keep needing to catch reminders to not let distraction makes Us to look to another side, Morning will always come... We lift Our eyes Up to the hill.

If you’re a fan of Emily Ley, this devotional is the perfect addition to your growing library of her books and planners. It’s beautifully created and has her consistent simplified theme. I felt the devotional entries could have gone a little more in depth as well as the scripture assessment, but I enjoyed the weekly check in questions and assessment. This would make a great Christmas present for anyone in your life with a Simplified Planner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift for the advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Emily Ley has a gift for inspiring others to get organized and get back to the basics. Now, with her daily devotional, Sure as the Sunrise, she has proven that she also has a gift for leading others in their faith journey. I have long been a fan of her Simplified podcast, particularly her weekly blessing at the end, so now to have a devotional extending this blessing into a daily offering is a blessing indeed. Thank you, Emily, for being yourself and for being a gracious hostess and friend for the many who follow and admire you.

This is my first book by Emily and I quite enjoyed it. Each devotional felt like sitting down for coffee with a friend. Each scripture came with a little tidbit from her life, how she applies that scripture to her life, then ends with a question or challenge to apply it in your life. I like how she takes the scripture then applies it to daily life. You can tell her life is planners and organization - it definitely comes through in the devotionals. The topics are varied but I felt they had a good continuous flow. I enjoyed at the end of each week being able to reflect on what I've learned and worked on. The resources at the end were helpful in setting up a morning routine. I do find that when I prepare the night before I'm less hectic and stressed the next day. All in all, it was a nice daily devotional with sprinklings of planning your life better.

Different from her other reads, Ley once again knocked it out of the park. Sure as the Sunrise gives the reader hope that no matter how crazy, bad, or busy the day before was, God is there the next day and brought the sun up again. Packed full of real life and scripture to go along with it, Ley gives the reader 100 days of wisdom and hope that each day is a new day.

This is a great devotional. I absolutely love how Emily Ley writes things to be so relatable. I recommend grabing this one to start your morning with

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC copy of this book! For years, I have been looking for a devotional that was thoughtful, but not too long, and related to me as a woman, mother, and working parent. Emily's book hits all three of these. She starts out with a short verse and then gives a sweet meditation on that verse, pulling in real life experiences of hers that relate to that day. She continues to refer back to the "sun rose again" mantra, which is a soothing pattern to expect throughout the days of the devotional. I appreciate that she doesn't give us a holier than thou sentiment in these days- she tells it like it is with her own faults and mistakes which is refreshing compared to other devotionals I've read. I would recommend this to women looking for a short jumpstart to center their day before the hectic sets in.

This is a nice 100 day devotional book, most relevant to women who are already fans of Emily Ley and are themselves wives and/or moms.
The book is intended to be used in the morning, 5 days a week for 20 weeks. Each daily page has a title, bible verse, essay from Emily, and a blurb with questions and/or action items. Then the week ends with a few pages of Reflection.
I enjoyed Ley's other books and her style, so I found this book helpful and interesting.
After Closing Reflections, there is a section on Morning Routines, including the author's and a space to create your own.
With a a space inside the front cover to write who the book is from, this would be a good gift for mom friends or female relatives, as long as the topic would resonate with them.