A Look at "Dinner Table Devotions"

God commanded His people Israel to teach their children about Him, His character and His mighty deeds. The parameters for doing this included all of life.

"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul ... You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deut.11:18-19)

The New Testament repeats this command to the body of Christ. "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Eph.6:4) 

The difficulty is that many of us need a little help, a little guidance, a little direction. It would be wonderful if every parent could open up their Bible and start teaching their children from it, and I hope you are increasing in your knowledge of the Word so that you will be able to do that! But in the meantime, you might appreciate a little help. Notice the content of what we're supposed to be teaching our children. We are to teach them who God is, what He expects of man, how He works in this world, what His plans are for the future ... in short, we are to help them know God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. The problem is that so many family devotion books place their emphasis on morality and outer behavior without ever challenging the heart. If we're not careful, we might find ourselves raising little Pharisees! So it is very refreshing to come across a book that approaches our responsibility from a more biblical perspective. 

Josh Harris recommends a new book by Nancy Guthrie entitled, Dinner Table Devotions. He has been pleased with the results after using it with his own children (aged 11, 9 and 5). Having had children who were 4 years apart, I appreciate any material that can stretch across multiple ages! But more importantly, the introduction to the book explains its biblical approach.

Whereas most family devotionals focus on Bible stories or on practical moral lessons, Dinner Table Devotions and Discussion Starters focuses on biblical themes, concepts, and words, in ways that are understandable to children without talking down to adults or teens. It will help your family take a step back to look at the big picture of what God is doing in the world and His purposes and plans in creating and redeeming the world. Once you and your family have worked your way through this book, you will have discussed nearly every major attribute of God and a host of profound theological truths, such as justification, redemption, substitution, and sanctification--without all those daunting words. You will have looked into important concepts from the Bible, such as covenant, adoption, judgment, and redemption, as well as spiritual realities, such as hell, angels, resurrection, and glorification. This is not dry theology for theology's sake, but living theology that makes a huge difference in how we do battle against temptation, deal with disappointment, and determine our futures."

Nancy Guthrie's website offers a sample of the first ten devotions. The book is available from amazon for $10.19. Customer ratings have been high. I've ordered a copy for the FBC Library if you would like a chance to try it before making your own purchase. This looks like a great resource for your parenting arsenal!