As I mentioned earlier this week, I had the unique opportunity to receive two copies of the lovely book Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan. I have been thrilled to share the book with Adisyn and she was thrilled to share the additional copy with one of her friends. It made it especially meaningful to share such a lovely devotional with two lovely young ladies!
What an enjoyable devotional this has been! The book itself is absolutely beautiful while the devotions are very, very good. This isn’t like some devotionals that are trite and simple. The
Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women does cover some pretty deep topics but in a God-honoring, lovely way. Written by Lindsay A. Franklin, she tackles many topics that are relevant to today’s young women while showing them how the women in the Bible were much like them. By understanding that the stories of the Bible are just as relevant today as they have ever been, young women will be encouraged to turn to the Bible when trouble befalls them.
I was so hoping that Adisyn and I could have a special date when we first received Beloved, but that didn’t work out, but maybe we can still steal away for half-cut tea one day soon just the two of us. Anyway, in the meantime, we can still enjoy the devotional.
There are many devotionals out there that seem to be random thoughts for each day. This devotional is not at all like that. You can follow along with the story beginning with the expectation of the ideal woman, right through the story of the Bible. The stories of women like Sarah, Naomi, Ruth, Esther and Mary (to name a few) are shown in the context of God using imperfect, yet faithful women.
I think I have enjoyed going through Beloved as much (or maybe more) than Adisyn. There are so many life lessons that I have found so encouraging! I also really, really like that the devotional focuses on one story for more than one day. The story continues to build upon itself rather than being a haphazard study of one or two verses at a time. This approach makes it so much easier for readers to follow along with the entire Bible story, HIS-story.
If you have a young woman in your life this would be a wonderful gift for her! The recommended age is 13 and older; I would say that is appropriate. There are mature themes that are addressed and while they are handled with grace I think the recommended age of 13 is wise.
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Be sure to check out the reviews from other members of the Homeschool Review Crew by clicking on the banner below. You can also read my other review, Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women ~ Review and Giveaway which focuses more on the devotional that Adisyn gifted to a friend.
Blessings,
Jennifer
