“God is there, shifting all the pieces into place. But he’s also invisible. And that’s how God is for us a lot of the time. We know he’s there, but we don’t often get insight into exactly what he’s doing or thinking… Even though we can’t know God’s behind-the-scene thoughts all the time, we can see him moving clearly, even when he’s not mentioned by name” (Lindsay Franklin, Beloved, Day 311).
In Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women (Zondervan, October 2018), Lindsay Franklin uses inspirational stories from girls and women in the Bible to encourage young women. Geared towards high school and college students, each one-page devotional includes a short Scripture verse, a relatable message that is sometimes humorous, and often deep and reflective, as well as space to journal. It’s difficult to get all of those elements on one page, but Beloved does it quite well. If I could change one thing, I’d remove the journalling space to replace with a closing prayer.
This devotional would make an excellent gift for students who are interested in digging deeper into Scripture and learning from women in the Bible. Readers will be caught by surprise by how their current trials or circumstances can be found in Scripture and were also faced by young women in the Bible.
I also love the title, and the daily reminder for whoever is holding this book that they are beloved. Young women are put under such scrutiny to perform, perfect, and outdo one another that it becomes exhausting and defeating. How important to be reminded that whoever they are, wherever they are, that they are beloved by the God who created them.
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