Don’t you just love reading fictional stories about characters you can relate to, who experience situations similar to your own, and learn from those examples how to live out your faith? Don’t you find that life lessons are more easily absorbed that way?
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Those questions prompted Kathy Ide and others to put together a fiction-lovers devotional: 21 Days of Grace. Instead of scriptural analysis or sermon dissections, this devotional takes the lessons and wisdom of the Bible and translates them into fictional – yet believable – situations.
Like Jesus’ parables, these stories deal with important life issues in a subtle, unpressured manner. And, as Jesus did, the authors follow up with life applications based on the stories, suggesting how the inherent lessons can be applied to the reader’s daily life.
I’ve never been a big fan of devotionals. I’ve started and stopped several books of devotionals. No matter how badly I want to finish the books, I seem to lose interest and forget about them. Nothing brings me back day after day to keep reading and studying. With 21 Days of Grace, however, I found a devotional I could absorb. Instead of it feeling like a chore, that I needed to read another devotion the next day, I found myself wondering what the next story would be – would I be able to relate? would I recognize the author? how would the next author view and explain grace? For the first time that I can remember, I actually finished reading a devotional.
I very much enjoyed this book. The quick, inspirational stories encouraged me, made me think, and – very important for this connoisseur of fiction – they entertained me. If you’re looking for a new type of devotional – or if you’ve never really enjoyed devotionals but would like to give it one more try – I recommend this book. Four out of five stars.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are my own.
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