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31-Day Devotionals for Life
Assurance: Resting in God's Salvation
Does God truly love you? Are you really saved? You fear that sin and suffering have a stronger hold on you than God does—but God is not threatened by your fears and questions, and he is exactly the one who can show you the heart he has for you. Drawing on his pastoral and counseling experience, William Smith provides scriptural devotions, reflection questions, and practical action points to daily increase your confidence in God’s love, promises, and care.
In the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series, biblical counselors and Bible teachers guide you through Scripture passages that speak to specific situations or struggles, helping you to apply God’s Word to your life in practical ways day after day.
In the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series, biblical counselors and Bible teachers guide you through Scripture passages that speak to specific situations or struggles, helping you to apply God’s Word to your life in practical ways day after day.
88 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2019
23 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
William P. Smith
45 books8 followersWilliam P. Smith, M.Div., PhD., is the director of counselling at Chelten Baptist Church, Dresher, PA., adjunct faculty at CCEF, and the author of many counselling articles and the book Caught off Guard: Encounters With the Unexpected God.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 2, 2019
The latest addition to P & R Publishing's "31 Day Devotionals for Life" series has just been released. "Assurance: Resting in God's Salvation" by William P. Smith is an encouraging look at the important doctrine of assurance. But this book is more than just an academic treatment of a biblical subject: it is a devotional celebration of the richness of the Gospel of grace.
With each of the thirty-one readings, Pastor Smith invites the reader to a warm and personal one-on-one chat. He unpacks God's role in our salvation and repeatedly stresses our part is to receive. Our love falters, but God first loved us. We didn't conceive ourselves, being God's children is His plan not ours. Our failures and missteps were known ahead of time: and just as Jesus foresaw Peter's denial yet prayed for and loved him anyway, so to will Jesus be faithful despite our frailties. Each reading includes a section for reflection or action, and the book includes recommended resources for further study.
A few quotes can capture the spirit of this little gem of a book:
"Does your love for him seem weak and feeble at times? Try looking at it from a different perspective: Do you have any love at all? Since you used to have none, the presence of some tells you that right now, he loves you." (58)
"God is not surprised that your life doesn't perfectly reflect his glory. But he does intend it to. Jesus did not die for the mere possibility that you might end up a little bit better than you used to be. He died to guarantee that one day you would be pure and perfect, just like him." (76)
"If God can transform Jacob, he can transform you too." (82)
"You have much greater confidence in your ability to ruin your life than in God's ability to rescue you from yourself and to redeem you." (84)
Smith deals with several of the passages that doubters often worry most about — the unpardonable sin and the warnings for those who deny Christ, among them. His treatment takes to heart Jude's admonition (Jude 22) to "have mercy on those who doubt." He explains, "Mercy to the doubting must characterize God's people, because it characterizes God" (85). That said, I do think a word about true apostates could be in order, since today many of us have close friends or family who have walked away from the faith: leaving us to grapple with our own faith as well as their departure. People can shipwreck their faith – so what does that look like when we talk about assurance?
My own quibbles aside, this is a helpful and hope-building book that deserves a wide audience. Many are weak in the faith and beset by doubts. This book can fortify their faith. I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
With each of the thirty-one readings, Pastor Smith invites the reader to a warm and personal one-on-one chat. He unpacks God's role in our salvation and repeatedly stresses our part is to receive. Our love falters, but God first loved us. We didn't conceive ourselves, being God's children is His plan not ours. Our failures and missteps were known ahead of time: and just as Jesus foresaw Peter's denial yet prayed for and loved him anyway, so to will Jesus be faithful despite our frailties. Each reading includes a section for reflection or action, and the book includes recommended resources for further study.
A few quotes can capture the spirit of this little gem of a book:
"Does your love for him seem weak and feeble at times? Try looking at it from a different perspective: Do you have any love at all? Since you used to have none, the presence of some tells you that right now, he loves you." (58)
"God is not surprised that your life doesn't perfectly reflect his glory. But he does intend it to. Jesus did not die for the mere possibility that you might end up a little bit better than you used to be. He died to guarantee that one day you would be pure and perfect, just like him." (76)
"If God can transform Jacob, he can transform you too." (82)
"You have much greater confidence in your ability to ruin your life than in God's ability to rescue you from yourself and to redeem you." (84)
Smith deals with several of the passages that doubters often worry most about — the unpardonable sin and the warnings for those who deny Christ, among them. His treatment takes to heart Jude's admonition (Jude 22) to "have mercy on those who doubt." He explains, "Mercy to the doubting must characterize God's people, because it characterizes God" (85). That said, I do think a word about true apostates could be in order, since today many of us have close friends or family who have walked away from the faith: leaving us to grapple with our own faith as well as their departure. People can shipwreck their faith – so what does that look like when we talk about assurance?
My own quibbles aside, this is a helpful and hope-building book that deserves a wide audience. Many are weak in the faith and beset by doubts. This book can fortify their faith. I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
July 19, 2025
I appreciated the author's emphasis on turning to Christ instead of looking inward for reasons to feel secure in salvation. That's the best thing I think anyone can tell someone struggling with assurance.
But I was not comfortable with the author's "you're all good" attitude towards readers struggling with assurance. It is not his role to say that. That's the role of the Holy Spirit within the believer.
I thought the author seemed too quick to dismiss a reader's heart struggles. Sometimes God intends to use those struggles to bring us to him in repentance (if we're not saved) or to spur us to reconcile ourselves with him in moments when we've broken fellowship with him (if we are saved). It's not that we've lost our salvation in those situations. But, as in a marriage relationship, a lack of faithfulness requires a repairing of the relationship.
But I was not comfortable with the author's "you're all good" attitude towards readers struggling with assurance. It is not his role to say that. That's the role of the Holy Spirit within the believer.
I thought the author seemed too quick to dismiss a reader's heart struggles. Sometimes God intends to use those struggles to bring us to him in repentance (if we're not saved) or to spur us to reconcile ourselves with him in moments when we've broken fellowship with him (if we are saved). It's not that we've lost our salvation in those situations. But, as in a marriage relationship, a lack of faithfulness requires a repairing of the relationship.
May 30, 2019
As he has done so often in his previous writings, William P. Smith gets right to the cry of my heart in his latest book: “Assurance-Resting in God’s Salvation.”
Rather than toying with my minor fears or batting a few Scriptures in the general direction of my lesser concerns, Smith instead begins by expounding on a number of substantive passages about God. And once he has our hearts focused on exactly where they ought to be, he then asks the million dollar question for all of us who struggle with weak faith and loud, distracting doubts:
“Are you used to thinking of God as someone who cares about doubters and who cares about what they need to believe and trust him?”
Hmmmmm. And—Ouch! Good question, Pastor Smith. Am I used to thinking of God in this way? Honestly, I would have to say, “No.” I can’t really claim that I am rock-solid in meditating on, memorizing, and joyfully proclaiming the passages of Scripture that remind me that God is someone who cares about doubters. But now I see how important it is that I get this part of the discussion right.
The only hope I have for strengthening my assurance and minimizing my doubts is to understand what God has revealed about himself and his work in relation to people like me. People who try so hard to be brave and loving, but who become fearful after repeated times of getting kicked down, gracelessly criticized, and alienated by professing Christians. It can be extremely hard to know how to “cast out” those fears by God’s “perfect love” (1 John 4:18).
In “Assurance,” William P. Smith directs us right to the Source: “God expected doubt to be a real problem for many of his people and he did something about it. He talked openly about your struggles and doubt and wrote down what you need to do to be more certain of God’s love for you.”
Consider just a few of the points Smith makes:
- We can be honest about our doubts. No more hiding! No more pretending!
- We can help one another to run right into the confident, secure arms of the True God.
- God’s message to us, over and over again, is that he is the one who calls us eagerly to trust that he is strengthening our faith; he is helping us to have more and stronger confidence in him.
- Jesus is praying continually for us (Hebrews 7:25).
If I had to summarize William P. Smith’s book, “Assurance,” in three words, they would be:
** God has you. **
Before there was time (Ephesians 1), God had you. As he formed you in your mother’s womb (Isaiah 44), God had you. God is above, below, ahead, behind you (Psalm 139). Even in the storms of life, he will keep you in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). So-called friends (who only pretend to be friends) may abandon you (Proverbs 18:24), but God will never abandon you. In life. In death. In eternity to come, God has you. Rest in the assurance that God has you.
But what about those of us who are really struggling in the valley of weeping, the dark night of the soul? Maybe we are so angry, scared, or bitter, that we have given up on the struggle and we are just sort of existing in a miserable, troubled life? As Pastor Smith so ably reminds us, the fact that our doubts trouble us is actually a sweet assurance from Christ that we really are his! When sadness weighs us down because we lack assurance that we are God’s children, that sadness is our assurance! To wonder if we are his? To worry if we are his? Those simply are not the thoughts of an unregenerate person.
So wherever you are in your spiritual and emotional life today, Run to God. Worship him. Enjoy him. Listen to his Word and wrap up in the assurances found in each picture, poem, history, genealogical list, proverb, prophecy, and song. Your Heavenly Father chose you before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1). Even when you are at your worst, his love for you never wavers (Psalm 86:5). As his kindness leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4), return to your gracious and merciful God. Be assured of his steadfast love for you (Joel 2:13).
(And thank you, yet again, William P. Smith, for lavishing such biblical, Christ-centered teachings on us all. You help us to trust in God and rest in HIS assurances.)
- Tara Barthel, JD MBA (www dot tarabarthel dot com): Attorney, Mediator, Homemaker, Rhetoric Instructor, Author of Living the Gospel in Relationships, Coauthor of Redeeming Church Conflicts and Peacemaking Women
Rather than toying with my minor fears or batting a few Scriptures in the general direction of my lesser concerns, Smith instead begins by expounding on a number of substantive passages about God. And once he has our hearts focused on exactly where they ought to be, he then asks the million dollar question for all of us who struggle with weak faith and loud, distracting doubts:
“Are you used to thinking of God as someone who cares about doubters and who cares about what they need to believe and trust him?”
Hmmmmm. And—Ouch! Good question, Pastor Smith. Am I used to thinking of God in this way? Honestly, I would have to say, “No.” I can’t really claim that I am rock-solid in meditating on, memorizing, and joyfully proclaiming the passages of Scripture that remind me that God is someone who cares about doubters. But now I see how important it is that I get this part of the discussion right.
The only hope I have for strengthening my assurance and minimizing my doubts is to understand what God has revealed about himself and his work in relation to people like me. People who try so hard to be brave and loving, but who become fearful after repeated times of getting kicked down, gracelessly criticized, and alienated by professing Christians. It can be extremely hard to know how to “cast out” those fears by God’s “perfect love” (1 John 4:18).
In “Assurance,” William P. Smith directs us right to the Source: “God expected doubt to be a real problem for many of his people and he did something about it. He talked openly about your struggles and doubt and wrote down what you need to do to be more certain of God’s love for you.”
Consider just a few of the points Smith makes:
- We can be honest about our doubts. No more hiding! No more pretending!
- We can help one another to run right into the confident, secure arms of the True God.
- God’s message to us, over and over again, is that he is the one who calls us eagerly to trust that he is strengthening our faith; he is helping us to have more and stronger confidence in him.
- Jesus is praying continually for us (Hebrews 7:25).
If I had to summarize William P. Smith’s book, “Assurance,” in three words, they would be:
** God has you. **
Before there was time (Ephesians 1), God had you. As he formed you in your mother’s womb (Isaiah 44), God had you. God is above, below, ahead, behind you (Psalm 139). Even in the storms of life, he will keep you in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). So-called friends (who only pretend to be friends) may abandon you (Proverbs 18:24), but God will never abandon you. In life. In death. In eternity to come, God has you. Rest in the assurance that God has you.
But what about those of us who are really struggling in the valley of weeping, the dark night of the soul? Maybe we are so angry, scared, or bitter, that we have given up on the struggle and we are just sort of existing in a miserable, troubled life? As Pastor Smith so ably reminds us, the fact that our doubts trouble us is actually a sweet assurance from Christ that we really are his! When sadness weighs us down because we lack assurance that we are God’s children, that sadness is our assurance! To wonder if we are his? To worry if we are his? Those simply are not the thoughts of an unregenerate person.
So wherever you are in your spiritual and emotional life today, Run to God. Worship him. Enjoy him. Listen to his Word and wrap up in the assurances found in each picture, poem, history, genealogical list, proverb, prophecy, and song. Your Heavenly Father chose you before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1). Even when you are at your worst, his love for you never wavers (Psalm 86:5). As his kindness leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4), return to your gracious and merciful God. Be assured of his steadfast love for you (Joel 2:13).
(And thank you, yet again, William P. Smith, for lavishing such biblical, Christ-centered teachings on us all. You help us to trust in God and rest in HIS assurances.)
- Tara Barthel, JD MBA (www dot tarabarthel dot com): Attorney, Mediator, Homemaker, Rhetoric Instructor, Author of Living the Gospel in Relationships, Coauthor of Redeeming Church Conflicts and Peacemaking Women
May 21, 2019
Doubt can plague even the most mature of Christians. It is an echo of the sinful self-centeredness that once dominated our lives. Whether we despair of our mistakes, lament our lack of faithfulness, or loathe our coldness toward God, doubt comes from looking at ourselves instead of turning our eyes upon the God who loves us.
This book is designed to be read one day at a time for one month. It’s a helpful concept, and one that will reinforce key truths over time. Full disclosure: I read the whole thing at once, and I suspect others will attack several days at a time as well; when you’re thirsty and find a water fountain, one sip isn’t enough.
Yet there is something to be said for savoring a great meal. Smith has written a feast. Raiding it like a cheap pizza buffet may curb your appetite but that’s no way to eat a juicy steak. Furthermore, Smith includes helpful ways to reflect and act after each day’s entry that require time and attention if you want them to take root in your troubled heart. Blazing through this book in a couple of hours will get you some great insights; basking in it for a month may change the way you see life.
At the end of the day, Smith reminds us that our assurance—like every other part of our salvation—comes from God. Looking at him, leaning on his love, and learning to trust our Father, will help us to see just how secure we are in Christ. You may not agree with everything Smith says, but you will be hard-pressed not to hear God’s love reverberate in these pages. A wonderful resource and easy to recommend.
This book is designed to be read one day at a time for one month. It’s a helpful concept, and one that will reinforce key truths over time. Full disclosure: I read the whole thing at once, and I suspect others will attack several days at a time as well; when you’re thirsty and find a water fountain, one sip isn’t enough.
Yet there is something to be said for savoring a great meal. Smith has written a feast. Raiding it like a cheap pizza buffet may curb your appetite but that’s no way to eat a juicy steak. Furthermore, Smith includes helpful ways to reflect and act after each day’s entry that require time and attention if you want them to take root in your troubled heart. Blazing through this book in a couple of hours will get you some great insights; basking in it for a month may change the way you see life.
At the end of the day, Smith reminds us that our assurance—like every other part of our salvation—comes from God. Looking at him, leaning on his love, and learning to trust our Father, will help us to see just how secure we are in Christ. You may not agree with everything Smith says, but you will be hard-pressed not to hear God’s love reverberate in these pages. A wonderful resource and easy to recommend.
June 2, 2023
The moment I closed this devotional a song from my teenage years popped up in my head:
"God, look at me, I'm just a man
But you tell me I'm not just a man
So hard to understand
After all I'm just a man
God, you tell me not to doubt
But I'm always plagued by doubt
And you always help me out
I'm so ashamed"
(The OC Supertones, 1996)
It's funny how those lyrics came to mind after so many years, but that sentiment is exactly what's addressed in this 31-day devotional. There have been many times when I've been completely plagued by doubt, God's truth lifted me up, I've felt ashamed, rinse, and repeat. I'm sure every Christian has had moments just like that. Assurance: Resting in God's Salvation addresses those issues with grace and mercy (Jude 22), reminding me that moments of doubt are opportunities for growth. But beyond the reminder, author William Smith offers simple, practical methods for lasting change.
A hymn comes to mind as I write this:
"O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace"
That about sums it up.
"God, look at me, I'm just a man
But you tell me I'm not just a man
So hard to understand
After all I'm just a man
God, you tell me not to doubt
But I'm always plagued by doubt
And you always help me out
I'm so ashamed"
(The OC Supertones, 1996)
It's funny how those lyrics came to mind after so many years, but that sentiment is exactly what's addressed in this 31-day devotional. There have been many times when I've been completely plagued by doubt, God's truth lifted me up, I've felt ashamed, rinse, and repeat. I'm sure every Christian has had moments just like that. Assurance: Resting in God's Salvation addresses those issues with grace and mercy (Jude 22), reminding me that moments of doubt are opportunities for growth. But beyond the reminder, author William Smith offers simple, practical methods for lasting change.
A hymn comes to mind as I write this:
"O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace"
That about sums it up.
May 25, 2023
Some of these devotionals were incredible and have forever changed my thinking in the best way I could describe. But some of these devotionals weren’t ‘it’ for me. They didn’t pick me up necessarily or change me because they didn’t resonate with what I struggle with but they were all enlightening one way or another. I know I was drastically helped by this book and also better equipped to help others and there was a vast array particulars struggles and how to combat them. I hope to read this again and reference it often too. :)
August 16, 2023
Even though this isn't an area of faith that I struggle in, it was edifying and encouraging to my faith and my walk. All assertions are fully backed by scripture references (can't say that for a lot of devotionals, sadly), which allows for deeper study, but doesn't require it. I will be referencing this in the future when supporting others struggling with assurance of God's love and salvation, and likely passing along/lending out my copy. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
August 30, 2021
Of all of BCC booklets I have read, I think this one has been my favorite thus far. My only hesitation and reason for not giving five stars was day 25, but perhaps I just need to re-read it. Highly recommend.
March 23, 2024
10/10! Definitely recommend! I can totally see myself coming back to read this book over the next few years of my life!
This man gets it. Having assurance isn’t just about the information you know about something… but rather if you believe it or not!!
This man gets it. Having assurance isn’t just about the information you know about something… but rather if you believe it or not!!
June 16, 2019
Very good. Worth rereading many times.
July 6, 2023
It’s heart is in the right place but I wasn’t a fan of how the author explained certain attributes of God and His view of us
I don’t know that I would recommend it to a new believer
I don’t know that I would recommend it to a new believer
August 28, 2023
Fantastic. Power-packed. Salvation is real, and you can be assured of this fact. This book does an incredible job of assuring you of this fact.
August 31, 2023
Really helpful. One to read again sometime!
May 1, 2024
For those who lack assurance of their faith, know that it is God who saves and works in us. His ability to save is far greater than we think and his love is unchanging.
March 1, 2025
At the time of writing this, I haven't even finished the whole thing, but I am so reassured and relieved of my anxieties that I just wanted to put it out there.
June 8, 2024
Assurance can be hard to come by for many Christians who struggle with trust and past betrayals. This 31-day devotional focuses on the topic of assurance and resting in God's completed work. Using Scripture, this devotional slowly takes the reader through the promises of God and His faithfulness to those who have come before us. He is unchanging and faithful, including to you. If you struggle with doubts, you should know it's natural. The answers are out there. Don't be afraid to look for answers. If assurance is on your mind, this devotional is a good place to start, especially if you don't know how to approach your doubts in the first place. Recommended for all Christians who struggle with works-based thinking and doubts about their own salvation.
December 19, 2020
Do you doubt your salvation? Are you not always sure God loves you? A dear loved one suffers from these thoughts and this book addresses every question he has ever had. It answers not with platitudes but with the Word of God. It is easy to understand and encouraging. We actually started reading through it all over again. It’s that good. Highly recommended!
December 14, 2024
if you have ever had any doubts about your salvation in anyway, this is the book for you. Excellent, excellent. God is one who chased after you, he drew you to himself, he keeps you saved and he understands questions. A must read for any doubter.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews