DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.
Just today actually, I had the pleasure of hearing a male lion roar repeatedly apparently to just say good morning to those around him. At least that’s what our tour guide said. Either way, that roar was unmistakable. It caused us to pay attention. And reminded us that you would never want to be between him and something he wants. Today I’m also reviewing Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith by Levi Lusko with Tama Fortner from Tommy Nelson Books and considering how a courageous faith can be seen in the roar of a lion.
What We Received:
We were given one hardbacked book, Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith by Levi Lusko with Tama Fortner from Tommy Nelson Books. It has 192 pages and color illustrations on almost every page.
How It Works:
This devotional book has a contents at the beginning where every devotion is numbered, named and page number is listed. While they are listed and named in a particular order, there is no demand for reading them in order. Each one begins with a scripture from the Bible, discusses relevant life issues pertaining to it and then charges the reader with an area of growth or practice. On the second page of most every devotion there is a Did You Know? section. In this section, there is often some historical fact or person that the reader can learn from. Each devotion is capable of standing alone or, if read through from start to finish, builds nicely on each other.
What We Thought:
While the recommended age of readers is 6-10, we have been reading it as a family which includes my 4 and 10 year old. The 4 year old likely misses some of it and the 10 year old is already picking up on a lot of it, but as a group there is much value. The content is relevant while also being gentle with hard things, like death and destruction. The author wisely handles his way around talking about what everyone is dealing with - scary things on the news, really hard days, loss, etc. and overlaying perspective from God and scripture. I appreciate that this book not only takes hard things on easily, but the collection of devotions have an overarching purpose: To develop a courageous faith. If there is any expectation at all, its that the type of faith we need is something we must practice and build over time. Fighting fear and standing up anyway, isn’t something that naturally just rolls out fully formed. It takes perspective and practice. Each devotion works on teaching scriptural perspectives that can support our kids as they come in contact with scary and unsure moments in life.
Between the imagery in the Bible and the Chronicles of Narnia’s Aslan, the lion often represents the strength and terror of God. Teaching our kids to have a courageous faith is something I wonder how well I’m equipped for. Do I have a courageous faith. Many days, I am not sure. What this book does a beautiful job of is setting the intention up in our hearts as we read through the devotions -the intention to be courageous in the face of many facets of fear and trials. As a parent, I know many of the types of struggles that are coming down the pike for my children, but I often would just rather protect them than anything else. That doesn’t equip them for what they will have to face though. This book of devotions is a gentle starting point that is useful for any family devotion time.
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Curious about what other families thought about this book? Check out the rest of the Crew reviews through this link below.
