Near in the Night: 100 Evening Meditations on God’s Peace and Rest

by Emily Ley

Why is it that when the lights go off our minds start racing? We stew over what we could have done differently that day. We think about details we're afraid we'll forget in the morning. And most of all, we worry. Small anxieties as well as huge fears come alive when we're exhausted and trying to sleep. This 100-day devotional will put your anxieties in their place and bring peace to your soul. In this unique evening devotional, bestselling author Emily Ley shares her own stories and struggles, invites you into contemplation, and brings you back to the unchanging comfort found in the Bible. Near in the Night includes practical ideas to make your evenings calmer along with pages for taking notes, making lists (so you can stop thinking about those to-dos!), and journaling your personal reflections. Each of the 100 devotions will help This devotional is perfect Pairing biblical wisdom with Emily’s simplicity expertise, Near in the Night reminds us that God is always faithful and ever near, even in the darkest of nights. Look for Emily’s companion 100-day morning devotional, Sure as the Sunrise .

208 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2023

About the author

Emily Ley is the founder of Simplified® - a brand of planners and organizational tools for busy women. Emily has been featured in Forbes, Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, Glamour, and Good Housekeeping. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including Best New Product at the National Stationery Show as well as Top 10 Designers to Watch by Stationery Trends Magazine. Emily and her team recently collaborated with AT-A-GLANCE® to create gift and planning collections carried in Office Depot, Staples, and Target. Emily is the author of national bestselling books, Grace, Not perfection: Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy and A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living. Now as an author, entrepreneur, wife and mother to three, Emily lives in Pensacola, Florida with her husband, Bryan, and their son Brady (8), and twins Tyler and Caroline (4).

Reviews

[Bianca Serrano · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can see this book being wonderful for other folks, and helping them draw closer to God. For myself, however, a few things had it miss the mark for me.

Firstly, the themes of the days mostly didn’t correlate; I learn best, especially with religious growth, when a book has related themes, and although there were a few (motherhood, giving your worries to God, seeing God’s beauty/love in the little things), it was mostly unrelated each day.

I also didn’t feel that the daily scripture readings had much to do with the stories she told; they seemed to be kind of generic and pulled out from a hat. I didn’t feel they made me any closer to the Bible.

Another problem for me was that one of the only recurring themes was motherhood… having grace as a mother, the love of a mother for her children, seeing your children grow, etc. I am not a mother, so many times I felt like this book was very hard to relate to and learn something from.

Given all this, I feel like this book would be best suited for mothers who want to grow closer to God via different breadths of themes (versus a few select themes, but more in depth).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this at night as I thought about my day and the days to come. It really helped put things in perspective for me. I enjoyed journaling right along with it.


I received a complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Estar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book says it has "evening meditations on God's peace and rest" but I don't see that coming through clearly in it. Each day has a Bible verse but there really isn't much of anything that amplifies what the verse says so that you get more of God's peace and rest. It is a lite version of some kind of mediation but not really on Scripture. The book leans too heavily on the author's personal stories here and there. Perhaps that is OK if you want to know more about Emily's life and followed her on social media and elsewhere.

The book also doesn't seem to be suited for those who don't have children or never have. She starts out one of her pages with "once the kids are tucked in bed, the house is picked up and work put away for the day..." so if you can't relate to that, perhaps this book isn't for you.

I also found some of her divider pages with sayings not helpful. For example, she says "Rest in the love of a God who adores you." I am to adore God, not Him adoring me, from what I understand. Another says: "Don't forget you are doing a good job!" -- I didn't expect to have a cheerleading type of quote in a book on meditations of God's peace and rest. Another one is focused on her: "God is teaching me to get comfortable with the doing, not just the done."

In summary, I was disappointed with this book -- it wasn't something that would help me be less fearful or stressed at the end of the day after reading one of its "meditations." I received an advance electronic copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

[Mhughessc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Ley is a popular Instagram blogger and author. She's written several books previously, so I was excited to see that she was releasing a new devotional book. This one is entitled, "Near in the Night: 100 Evening Meditations on God’s Peace and Rest." This book focuses exclusively on giving its readers thoughts to ponder as they're drifting off to sleep. Ley includes personal anecdotes, encouraging quotes, and Scripture passages to encourage her readers.

This will be a helpful book for those who struggle to quiet their minds at night. It was a little more mothering-heavy than I expected (as far as topics are concerned), but I still found the book to be an encouragement. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Carol Standish-Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful devotional to aid your wind down to sleep. Emily has broken the devotions into 20 weeks. Each week has five devotions and ends with a reflection segment. Each devotion begins with a verse of scripture and a beautifully written devotion. These are a well crafted selection of devotions and an absolute joy to read.. The book ends with a prayer of gratitude, a Benediction, a small list of scriptures for the evening, suggested evening routines, preparations for the next day and Emily’s own ideal evening routine. This is a book I will be returning to again and again. And incorporating some of Emily’s ideal night time routine into my own.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moving through 100 days, each week has a theme and each day has a verse, a story or reflection, and an action item, usually in the form of journaling prompts.

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, but I found many to be rather surface-level and would have preferred them to go deeper. As with Sure as the Sunrise, the book closes with some tips on routines.

This is a nice devotional for infusing your evening with warmth, comfort, and a sense of ease.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift and NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC to review! I enjoyed it.

[Kristy Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book....has so many relatable stories for me and seemed to know just what I needed and when. I received this from Netgalley for an honest review. I'm so glad I found this one! Would highly recommend.

[Joni Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for right before bed. Very soothing and peaceful passages. Meant to be read one a day. I really liked the journaling prompts as well.

[Alyzae Merchant Desai · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This soothing and thoughtful 100-day devotional gives you a routine to put your mind at ease at the end of the day. I appreciated the space for writing a reflection every week. This book felt aimed at mothers and caregivers of children, and would make a good gift.
I won a free hard copy from Goodreads.

[Beth Yurs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for a early copy of this book!

Once again Emily Ley has created an approachable, yet deep daily devotional book for women in Near in the Night. As with her prior devotional, Sure as the Sunrise, she understands that many women only have a short time each day to sit down and focus on their spiritual well being. I appreciate that this one isn't specifically targeted towards just mothers, or those who stay home- this works whether or not you work in or out of the home, or whether or not you have children of your own.
She crafts each day with a short story or analogy that connects the Bible verse(s) to her every day life. She leaves you then with a call to action or a series of questions to delve further into how that passage can apply to your life, and how to take small actions to get to the life you want to live. Her writing is very approachable and open to as much depth as you need for that given moment. I really liked the weekly check ins in between the devotionals to really take time and reflect on the journey of completing this book- she knows writing is powerful, and she invites you into that space to develop your own thoughts as your journey progresses. Five stars for another great book from Emily!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I love that each week has a different focus and also includes a daily and weekly reflection. I especially enjoyed the sections on perfectionism as this is something I struggle with. Something that really challenged be was thinking about what I want to focus on in this season in life and what I need to put on the backburner.