When I first saw this devotional, I was so excited to request it. And when it arrived—with its warm tones and lovely floral artwork—I was even more eager to begin reading it at bedtime with my nine-year-old, who was just as excited for that special time together.
While there were encouraging moments that opened the door for thoughtful conversation, I found myself often needing to pause and clarify or correct certain statements. By Day 11, I made the decision to stop reading it with my daughter after reading a quote from The Jesus Storybook Bible that said, “God saw all that he had made, he loved them. And they were lovely because he loved them.” Though this aligns with the theme of the book, this isn’t what Scripture says in Genesis 1 regarding the creation of Adam and Eve, nor does it reflect the actual language used there.
As I continued reading on my own, another example that gave me pause was where the author writes, “Jesus came to restore my beauty and my relationship to God,” and speaks of us becoming mirrors of God’s beauty. While she does touch on Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, in my view, the weight of that truth is significantly overshadowed by the added emphasis that He died so we could reflect God’s beauty. That shift in focus—from reflecting His holiness to reflecting His beauty—carries a very different meaning and weight. For me, this kind of oversimplification or redirection of the gospel message is concerning, especially for young girls navigating an already confusing cultural narrative about beauty and identity.
Another moment that stood out was the author’s interpretation of why the rich young man in Matthew 19 didn’t repent. She writes that he “didn’t see God as beautiful enough.” While it’s a creative perspective, it stretches beyond what Scripture says.
My overall concern is that several biblical truths in this devotional are either taken out of context, layered with interpretations not clearly supported by Scripture, or simplified in ways that could lead to confusion. Some of the examples and applications also felt more appropriate for an older audience. In my opinion, this devotional may connect better with girls ages 13 and up, particularly as it includes references to things like social media following, which don’t naturally resonate with most younger girls.
It saddens me to share this feedback, as Crossway is one of my favorite Christian publishers, and I have many of their books in our home that I love and recommend. But in this case, I wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending this one.
Thank you, Crossway, for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
(Edited on 5/31)