Be encouraged and challenged in 2023 with daily devotional thoughts from CIU’s third president Robertson McQuilkin

Deb McQuilkin says she needed her late husband’s diverse essays on Christian living chunked into bite-sized texts that she could ponder and apply one concept at a time. And if she needed it, she figured others could benefit as well.

That’s why Deb McQuilkin edited a new devotional for the new year entitled, “Transformed, Readings in Christian Living” featuring the writings of her husband, Robertson McQuilkin, the third president of Columbia International University. He was president of CIU for a quarter of CIU's 100 years of existence which is being celebrated in 2023. She says the book is a gift, especially to CIU alumni, to celebrate the heritage and DNA of CIU.

Based on Scripture and Robertson McQuilkin's keen intellectual understanding of life, you will find these daily readings offer encouragement, biblical balance, and a practical instruction for living. Topics are broad ranging and relevant for today’s Christian.

Deb McQuilkin offered her thoughts on “Transformed,” in the following Q&A.

What prompted you to write a devotional based on Robertson’s writings?

Robertson was fully committed to God in an uncommon way, he was an incredible thinker —quite brilliant — and could see and word principles of Christian living that are soundly biblical yet personal.

Those who took the course Principles of Christian Living under him saw life transformation. That became the basis for his “Biblical Ethics” book. But it is so deep and massive I use it for reference not for reading. I listened to his sermons for years, and heard them over and over. I was always convicted!

I said I would quit listening when I quit being convicted! But I needed his diverse essays on Christian living chunked into bite-sized texts that I could ponder and apply one concept at a time. One daily reading, of one principle, of walking with Christ. That I can manage. I figure if I need that, others do as well. Plus, I do not want this great material lost to succeeding generations. Who else is saying some of this stuff so practically?

Where did you find so many of his writing that you could make them into a daily year-long devotional?

Well, if you knew Robertson, you knew how incredibly organized he was. Of course, I have his computer and flash drives. There I found three folders of sermons and two folders of manuscripts. That is where it started. My computer transcribed some audible sermons I have on my computer and I pulled from published material. The trick was condensing it into a day's worth of reading. I know these are longer than most devotionals. They are 700-900 words rather than 300. But this is not fluff. It is propositional truth as well as stories for application.

What do you think makes Robertson’s writing so engaging?

He was a storyteller. His sisters used to accuse him of making stuff up! But he took the fall —usually telling on himself in his stories or disguising a real story of someone else. He also thought well and wrote for each of us. He used to have a list of six principles for writing on his clipboard. One of the principles was to make it simple.

What was Robertson’s life verse and in what way does it come through in his writings?

Well he would say he had several depending on the season in his life. But I think the overall life verse was:

“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ASV)

That is where the title of this devotional came from “Transformed.” I never knew Robertson to be convicted about anything and not obey it. He was fully committed to the upward spiral. His last prayer request was to that end.

What are some of your favorite devotional thoughts in the book?

I love what Robertson taught me about spiritual change — that is the effect of the person of the Holy Spirit. How active the Spirit wants to be in our lives! He does the changing. I just cooperate. Trust and obey.

He also brings up questions he doesn't necessarily answer. He may defend both sides and trust us to sort that out. He does that more than once. It is great for discussions!

I love how he affirms the value of each of us. As he says in the devotional thought for Jan. 31:

• Talk about self-worth! If that knowledge of who you are in Christ doesn't liberate and fill life to the full, what will?
• Created on the pattern of God, not a monkey.
• Purchased by the most precious commodity this world has ever known, the blood of God.
• Living a life planned by the master Designer of the planets, the suns, and every atom.
• A constant companion of the King of Kings.  Indeed, theology can liberate and fill a person full.

Isn’t that what we all want?

What do you hope each reader comes away with after reading “Transformed?”

A transformed life. Where are we to go as Christians? And how do we get there? How do we become that for which we were made?

--Robertson McQuilkin was the son of CIU’s first president R.C. McQuilkin and served as CIU’s third president from 1968 to 1990. He passed away on June 2, 2016 at age 89.

“Transformed” will be available in e-book format and as an email daily devotional early January through the Robertson McQuilkin Library, a resource from Columbia International University. Access the library at mcquilkinlibrary.com