"Daily Devotional New Testament." A Review

Daily Devotional New Testament: Through the New Testament in a YearDaily Devotional New Testament: Through the New Testament in a Year by Anonymous
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To get in the habit of reading Scripture from Genesis to Revelation can be a daunting task, especially if you've never done it before. And it can be doubly dispiriting if you've tried a time or two and never gotten past the first half of Genesis. My normal counsel, when asked, is to encourage "Start small, build steam, then go for the goal!" That's what makes "Daily Devotional New Testament" a delightful project! The aim of this volume is to aid the reader to get through the New Testament in one year. To do this the publisher has broken up the daily readings into bite-size portions, so that day-by-day the reader moves through the whole New Testament in one year.

The daily rhythm of the "Daily Devotional New Testament" includes two small readings from the English Standard Version (ESV), punctuated with "Reflections" for each reading, and then a final "Thoughts for Prayer." The first reading is from one of the Gospel accounts during the first four-fifths of the year, and then the Acts of the Apostles for the last fifth of the year. This is a brilliant move, making the Acts part of the Gospel readings, though I personally would have had the Acts readings right after Luke. After the Gospel/Acts reading is a short reflection on the passage for the purpose of reviewing what was just read, and what it means in the reader's life. The second daily reading comes from the Letters of Paul, Hebrews, James, Peter, John, Jude and finally Revelation. Once this second reading is accomplished, there is another short reflection for pondering the passage. And, as stated earlier, the day's reading ends with how to allow the passages to guide our prayer for the day.

Each of the daily readings are short and sequential so that the Christian will work through the whole New Testament easily, and thoughtfully. The goal for this approach is beautifully expressed by Alistair Begg in the forward, "Neglecting proper biblical nourishment spoils the spiritual appetite, and the result is theological malnutrition. If we are to avoid this condition we must have Bible-teaching pastors and Bible-reading congregations -- men and women whose ready reception of the preaching is more than matched by their daily examination of Scripture." This work is a great way to jump into Bible reading, and is usable for teenagers and adults alike. Once you've successfully completed this easy-to-use edition, you will be primed to take up the whole Bible. Hustle out and snatch up a copy for yourself, your family and your friends for 2016! I highly recommend this book!


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