God’s Big Promises: Beginning with God Family Devotions Review
“Always remember these commands that I give you today. Be sure to teach them to your children. Talk about these commands when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deut. 6:6-7)
Research shows the significance of discipling our children from a young age and emphasises that this discipleship cannot be done by the Church alone. (For more information, look up the 2021 Barna and Awana study on the discipleship of children). Whilst children are always free to make their own choices, our prayer is that if they capture the joy and hope of the Bible from an early age, their faith is cemented for life. The Bible encourages the discipleship of children, stating, ‘Teach children in a way that fits their needs, and even when they are old, they will not leave the right path’ (Proverbs 22:6).
However, this can be a daunting reality for many parents. There are so many varying translations and versions of the Bible it can be hard to know where to start, especially if you are seeking an appropriate Bible for your children. Published in 2023, God’s Big Promises Bible Storybook is a great choice for children and families. Designed to help children recognise how God fulfils His promises, this storybook Bible has a key which highlights places in the Bible where God has made promises, and places in the Bible where God has kept those promises.
To accompany this Bible, a new family devotional Beginning with God has been released. This devotional contains 92 Bible devotions suitable for use with children aged 2-7 for around 5-10 minutes each time. Each devotion provides optional and suggested activities including an introductory activity, prayer, Bible story, questions, listening, and further prayer. Perhaps even more appealing to children are the accompanying stickers which can be used to mark when a devotion is complete! It is colourful, easy to follow, and outlines a helpful structure for introducing children to exploring the Bible for themselves.
The author recognises that family life is busy, thus emphasising that the devotional should not be an additional pressure on everyday life, but is flexible in that if families miss a day, they can simply return to it the next time!
Ultimately, as captured in the introduction of Beginning with God, the Holy Spirit is always at work, so ‘ask Him to do His work as you think about the Bible story, and trust that He is,’ (pg 8).
By Heather Bailie
Children and Family Ministry Coordinator, IMYC