A Book Review from Books At a Glance
by Kristin Stiles
Establishing a routine of daily devotions is important to a believer. Starting that habit as a young child and continuing it throughout life is invaluable. There are many materials that are available to parents to choose from, but this book by David Murray certainly stands in a class by itself as a resource for children to spend focused time in the Word learning about Jesus.
In Meeting with Jesus, Murray takes the child through a study of the life of Christ as presented in the Gospels. Beginning with John the Baptist (the one who prepared the way) and ending with
Jesus’ ascension to heaven, Murray provides 52 weeks of chronological lessons on Jesus’ time here on earth and the ramifications thereof. These lessons are each rather short and can be completed in just 5-10 minutes. Each week there is a paragraph summarizing the content for the week, a suggested memory verse, and a place to write down prayer items. Each daily entry is composed of a brief Bible passage and a question about the passage. On Sunday, there is a section for reflecting on the week’s readings and also a place for taking notes during the sermon. This also allows for a catch-up day if the child has missed one during the week.
For children 6-12 years old, this book would be a wonderful way to complete a yearlong study on the life of Christ. Parents can use this to help their children establish good habits that can endure for a lifetime. They will also be exposing their children to timeless truths that are the very basis of Christianity. At the end of the year, your child could have 52 verses memorized and be very knowledgeable about the Gospels. Even more importantly, s/he will be growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Kristin Stiles is a home-school mom, a Sunday School teacher, and helps lead the “Young, Reading, & Reformed” children’s ministry at Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia, PA.