Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women Review

Y’all may remember me telling you about Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women before from Zondervan. I’m excited to give you more information about this wonderful devotion. Grab a cup of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa to enjoy while studying about some amazing women in the Bible.

The suggested age is around 13 through 18. I honestly feel that younger girls and even older gals can glean much from this lovely heartfelt devotion.

My daughter says the cover is very girly looking and has pretty colors. I agree but, thing the cover looks elegant. 

This is a beautiful hardcover book. I love the design on the cover with its shiny metallic flowers design with the pastel pink background. The pages within the book look elegant with the white background and the edges with its floral border design. Both the inside and outside of this devotion is very appealing to the eyes.

As you can see the layout is simple and beautiful. No excuse to take 10 minutes or less to read a devotion.

The book is approximately around 5”x7 ½” in size. Also included is a magenta ribbon book mark to keep your place marked in the book.

As the name implies there are 365 devotions. The daily devotions are labeled by days like “Day 1” and not by date. I know a silly pet peeve of mine, I rarely keep up with a calendar reading devotion and it bugs me when I’m reading a calendar devotional and the date says glaring at the top of the page that it is March 5th and the actual date is May 3^rd. It makes me feel like I’m really behind. I can start anytime in the year at ‘Day 1” I’m I the only one that has that pet peeve?

Each of the 365 devotions is on a single page. The layout of the devotion has the same format throughout the book with each day.

 The days are clearly marked. I love the contrast of color with the scripture and the devotion itself.

The upper left side you have your day marked in a larger pretty cursive font that is in a magenta color. It starts with a scripture verse that is a smaller font typeface print block in a lighter tone of the magenta color. The scripture verse has the address if you want to read the rest of the story in your Bible.

Below the scripture is your devotion portion which is a slightly larger font and in a black color. I like the contrast of the colors on the white paper background. The contrast is easy on the eyes for my struggling reader who has vision issues. The devotions are only a few short paragraphs.

Each scripture verse and devotion is nicely paired together focusing on women from the Bible in both the Old and New Testament. The devotions are relevant to today’s world and I feel most can relate to the many topics covered.

For each day’s devotion there are lines-four to be exact for you to write notes are other things that you feel relevant to the daily devotion.

Let me give you a glimpse at the topics and the heart of the devotions in the book. 

 Day 103 Micah 6:4

Day 103 is based off of Micah 6:4 which reads, “I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.”

The devotional section on Day 103 goes on to explain (in my paraphrasing it) that Miriam made a lot of mistakes and talks about some of her mistakes. Yet at the same time she is remembered in the Song of Miriam in Exodus 15. Even though she did some awful things she also did a lot of good things. In the book of Micah she is still remembered and God honors her as a woman that He used, to help save His people from Egypt.  How does that far off story relate to us today you may be wondering? We have hard times and can’t see pass those hard times that seem impossible in our eyes. You know the feeling that you can’t see the full picture (or book as they devotion says). We think that is the end of our story. God is always moving forward we just need to flip the page and carry on.  That is a sweet reminder that girls need to hear that we make mistakes but, what will you do about it? Will you dwell on it or get up and go past that event in your life.

 My daughter is reading Day 33 to me at the beginning of our school day.

Day 33 based off Genesis 21:19. “Then God opened (Hagar’s) eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.” Hagar was spared the agony of watching her son dye before her eyes. The moral of the devotion from my daughter which said, “God is always is there  for our problems. Sometimes we need to open our eyes and have God direct us to see a solution.”

I love that the devotions focus on women in the Bible. Our girls need to see women who trust in God and cry out to him. At the same time the devotions don't shy away from the reality of the stories and sometimes they did awful things and had to repent of them. Throughout the devotion you read about women like Hannah on Day 201 and the cry of her heart for her son. Day 238 we read about Bathsheba and his redemption and love on Bathsheba and David with the birth of Solomon.

The devotion ends with one of my favorite scriptures, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one is Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28. The devotion highlights the fact that all are important to him no matter who or what we are!

How did we use Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women?

My daughter is 16 and reading is a lot of work for her with her special needs and vision. She always has to work harder than most at reading. She loves the word and is faithful day and night to read her Bible. She loves adding in devotions to her daily reading.

My daughter agreed to read some of the paragraph out loud for me to record. Remember reading is a struggle for her and sometimes she struggles with tracking her words and she has speech issues. The devotion is still enjoyable and easy for her to read overall.

Bug has enjoyed this devotion a lot. We do a mixture of her reading to me or some days she reads independently. Sometimes we take turns reading back and forth to one another. I don’t require her to write down her thoughts. It would be difficult for her and I want her to enjoy what she is reading. 

Bug is reading Day 51 to me. It is talking about Laban's two daughter's Rachel and Leah. The last sentence is beautiful as it reads, "God remembers us(Just like He remembered Leah." 

Bug would read Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women with me as we begin our school day. We have been reading this devotion for over 2 months for the most part 5 days a week. Occasionally my daughter will read on the weekend by herself. Not once has my daughter complained seeing this on her schedule.

Bug’s final thoughts, “Mom I like this devotion more than anyone I have ever read over the years.” That statement made me curious why this has been her favorite. According to my daughter she said, “I liked the other ones but the situations didn’t really relate to me.” “I don’t deal with situations most girls deal with being homeschooled and with my special needs the topics didn’t fit my life as I don’t play sports, go to parties, nor do I deal with boys the way some girls my age do.” Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women she said, “The topics are more mature and they really relate more to the Bible scripture.”  Wow, I didn’t expect that. I guess my little girl is no longer little and I need to remember that with future devotions for her.

I’m touched by my daughter words and seeing her become a young women. Looking over the book I have to agree with my daughter’s assessment of the topics being more mature but, at the same time relevant to everyday life even to preteens and teens. I love that they focus on the topics of the heart, repentance, forgiveness, seeing God in our lives and what he does for us. I could go on with several other topics but, I think it’s really an encouraging and inspiring topics that our young girls need to hear. I have to admit that I enjoy it as much as she does. I have been blessed reading this with my daughter. I do have to say don't let a devotion book replace time spent reading your Bible. Devotions are a supplement to your Bible. I love devotions and they encourage me.

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