When Was The Original Book God Calling First Published?

I’ve dug into this little devotional a few times while leafing through old books at thrift shops and library sales, and here’s how I’d explain the publication story of 'God Calling' from my spot as a book-browsing hobbyist.

Most references place the first publication of 'God Calling' in the late 1930s — commonly cited are 1937 and 1938. The book was originally presented as messages received by two women and collected into a daily devotional, and different printings and reprints over the decades have created a bit of bibliographic fog. If you look at older Christian publishers’ catalogs and library records, you’ll often see the first UK imprint dated around 1937/1938, with subsequent editions in the 1940s and plenty of reprints later in the 20th century.

If you want to be sure about the exact first edition in a specific country, I’d recommend checking library catalogs like WorldCat or the British Library’s online catalogue — I’ve used those when tracking down first-run prints of paperbacks I love. Also peek at the front matter of early copies (publisher, year, place of publication) because collectors sometimes find an earlier small-press run that isn’t widely cited. For casual reading though, most people mean the late 1930s when they talk about the original 'God Calling' publication.

I’m the kind of person who asks booksellers a hundred small questions while flipping through dusty copies, so here’s my short, direct take: 'God Calling' first appeared in the late 1930s — most commonly cited around 1937 (sometimes 1938). Because it was published modestly at first and then reprinted frequently, different sources can give slightly different years.

If exactitude matters to you, check WorldCat, the British Library, or a physical first edition’s title page to confirm the imprint details. Otherwise, thinking of 'God Calling' as a late-1930s devotional is safe and matches how most bibliographies treat its origin — and honestly, its message reads the same across editions, so I usually just enjoy the pages regardless of the exact first-year stamp.