Sunday, September 21, 2014

First Impressions of the ESV Women's Devotional Bible

I have had my ESV Women's Devotional Bible for several weeks now. I've read Genesis through Ruth. (I'm in the book of  1 Samuel). I've read Matthew through John. So far I am really enjoying it.

I like the size of it. It's not too big--too heavy--and it's not too small. You don't need to be sitting at a table to enjoy reading it.

I love, love, love the black letter. I wish other bible publishers would give buyers a choice. There are some translations where it is nearly impossible to find black letter.

I don't really have a strong preference between single column and double column. This one happens to be double column.

I haven't read any of the 15 articles yet. But I have read plenty of the devotionals and character profiles. I am enjoying them for the most part. I'll be sharing bits from my favorite below.

My favorite devotion, so far, is "Identifying with Zacchaeus" by Ann Voskamp. I loved, loved, loved it!!!
Six times the socially rejected tax collectors are mentioned in the book of Luke—and every single time positively. It’s a pattern into which you can weave the ends of your frayed heart: Jesus is drawn to the rejected, and the rejected are drawn to Jesus. And it’s the people who draw themselves up as the respectable who find Jesus repelling. Why? Because when you feel essentially respectable, you want religion. And when you know you are essentially rejected—you want the gospel. In religion, it’s the “respectable” who search for a God to impress. But in the gospel, it’s God who searches for the rejected to save. The only “respectable” people who become Christians are those who realize they aren’t. It’s not that even the rejected are accepted by Jesus—it’s that only the rejected are accepted by Jesus. Only those who confess that their reliance on self-sufficiency and supposed morality is as sinful as any other sin. It’s only when you realize you aren’t respectable, that you are no better than the rejected, that you are fully accepted.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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