One of my memories of the dinner table growing up is our time spent having family devotions. As a teenager, I remember grumbling over it often, yet now looking back I recognise the beauty in it and am thankful my parents persisted even when my sisters and I were less than encouraging about it. Gathering around God’s Word as a family is not only something we should encourage one another to do, but we should remind each other training our children in the knowledge of God is actually a Biblical mandate. Yet how, in the busyness of life, do we find time to write and deliver a devotional? Well, Nancy Guthrie has solved this problem for us through writing an excellent resource.
“One Year of Dinner Table Devotions and Discussion Starters” by Nancy Guthrie (Tyndale, 2008), is a collection of 365 dated devotional readings with accompany questions that prompt thought and teach sound theology. In Guthrie’s usual manner, she takes every opportunity to teach strong theology in manageable and relatable portions. Including topics from Passover to the character of God, the Trinity to faith, Guthrie covers big ideas in short snippets.
As Guthrie writes in the Introduction,
“Most modern Christian families live with a nagging sense of guilt that they don’t have any kind of consistent family devotions. Or maybe I should say my husband and I have lived with a nagging sense of guilt that we have not had any kid of consistent family devotions! But I don’t think we’re alone in this. … That’s why I’ve written One Year of Dinner Table Devotions and Discussion Starters. Because we need it at our house, and I’m guessing you might need it at your house too.” (Nancy Guthrie, 2008, p.V).
If you are needing a family devotional book for kids aged from Primary school up, this is a great book. Each reading would take 10-15 minutes and encourages discussion. I would highly recommend this as an excellent family resource- I’m looking forward to reading it with my kids when they are a little older.
Thanks to The Wandering Bookseller, we are having a GIVEAWAY of this book. Simply head on over to the Pursuits of God Facebook page before Friday 2nd December and answer the question: “How do you bring God into the everyday life of your family?”
