The Reservoir: A 15-Month Weekday Devotional for Individuals and Groups

by Renovare, Christopher A. Hall, Carolyn Arends

"If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. A canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, and a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus without loss to itself communicates its superabundant water. In the Church at the present day we have many canals but few reservoirs." —Bernard of Clairvaux

Originally commissioned by Food for the Hungry to spiritually nourish staff members serving on the front lines of international relief work, The Reservoir is an accessible weekday devotional for renewal and growth in Jesus. Written by Renovaré team members including Chris Hall and Carolyn Arends, it first covers foundational questions­­—What is spiritual formation? What is my picture of God? What is my picture of myself?—then dives into in the six great Christian traditions outlined by Richard Foster’s book Streams of Living Water.

Each entry contains a quote, thought, Scripture passage, and questions for reflection or discussion to help you “live in the overflow” and become a reservoir rather than a canal. 

Your purchase helps further the work of two nonprofit organizations. All proceeds from the print version are donated to Renovaré, and proceeds from the digital version are split between Renovaré and Food for the Hungry.

Genres: Christianity, Devotional, Discipleship

376 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2019

About the author

Renovaré is a nonprofit Christian organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and active worldwide. They seek to resource, fuel, model, and advocate more intentional living and spiritual formation among Christians and those wanting a deeper connection with God.

A foundational presence in the spiritual formation movement for over 20 years, Renovaré is Christian in commitment, ecumenical in breadth, and international in scope. Renovaré has published numerous books about the importance of strong spirituality and connections with God.

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been disappointed by a Renovare resource and this is no exception.

Fabulously compiled featuring many of the authors in the Renovare family who provide the quotation for each day's devotional. What follows is a short reflection on the quote and related Bible verses with 2-3 pertinent questions that make you think and pray every day.

Even though each day's content looks brief, it's powerful and it was a rare day that I wasn't left reflecting/meditating on the relevance of the message.

Structured around spiritual formation ideology, each month works through key attributes of spiritual formation.

If you're looking for a challenging devotional that will change your life, then grab a hold of this one. I'm going to start it again on January 1.

[Pamela Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working through this wonderful book one day at a time. Each entry contains a quote, thought, Scripture and questions. Since our entire church is doing this together, I highly recommend this resource for deeper conversations on spiritual formation.

[Joanna DeWolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best devotional books I have ever used. I loved everything about it. I never thought I would like one book for a year but it was exactly what I needed day after day. A quote. A short reading. A scripture. Reflection questions. I will recommend it often.

[Denise Dixon]

Working my way through this study and it has been and is a
really wonderful and life-giving experience.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent devotional focused on the more meditative side. Enjoyed learning about some people new to me.

[Carol Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sat on my shelf since it was published in 2019. I am so glad I picked it up. It is wonderful. I highly recommend it. It would be great to do it in a spiritual formation/direction group too.