Great devotional for men. Very happy with how inspiring and easy it is to find the word of God this easy. Very happy!

I am just so sad as I fulfill my responsibility to comment on this book. Let me put my comments into some context. I have only read the first 140 days- but it was the 140th day that completely “undid” me. “Perhaps an overreaction?” you query.

Tracy Sumner is commenting on 1 Chronicles 17:23, where David is given a promise of an everlasting king and a kingdom,(a clear reference to Messiah). David responds:

“” Therefore now. LORD let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as thou hast said.” It is a great omission on the author’s part, in my view, that God’s significant Messianic promises in 2 Samuel 7 ( a parallel text to this), is simply ignored.

However, rather than seeing salvific history in the making, Sumner turns it into an invitation to the reader to examine the Biblical promises, and asks, “What do you need?” I would argue there are simply some texts that are highlighting the glory and majesty of God, and this is one. To gaze inward is not why this text is given, but to be enthralled with the God who is about shepherding His people, and planning for their salvation is the primary focus.

The author’s intentions are honourable, I am sure. He wants to engage young men in the Scriptures, so gives an overview of each Biblical book, a daily reading schedule, and selected commentary on particular verses.I have been feeling uneasy in my reading to this point, but I could not put words to it. Now I can. For example, I now know why I was unsettled when there was no daily commentary on the book of Ruth, but simply an overview of the book given. Ruth, however, is a bright spot in the history of the period of the Judges, with a strong message that Boaz, as the Kinsman Redeemer for Naomi and Ruth, is a clear picture of the Lord Jesus Christ

I regret to say from my observation of how Sumner handles many of the Old Testament stories, they are used as lessons with a moral, and often nothing more. The unfolding revelation of the Messiah to come, while accepted, is not emphasized. It’s for this reason I would have liked the author to have a better grasp of Biblical Theology, and then perhaps other texts would have been highlighted for comment. If this book is written for young Christians to be nurtured in Biblical revelation history and application, this book does have some glaring weaknesses.