We have just passed the mid-point of the year and I know of many whose devotional plans for 2021 have either fallen apart or been set aside. Some of these people wish to restart and finish the year strong, but know they have no hope of picking up the pieces and completing their year-long devotional plan. So, for their sake, I scoured Westminster Books to come up with some options—options that will provide them with a day-by-day devotional resource they can begin now and complete before the end of the year. There are lots of great options available. Read on to learn about them…
Bible-Based Devotionals
One good option is In the Lord I Take Refuge by Dane Ortlund. This brand new work offers a short devotional on each of the 150 psalms. The psalms are fully reproduced within the book, meaning it can serve as both a Bible and devotional.
Alec Motyer’s Psalms by the Day and Isaiah by the Day are solid resources, as is Elyse Fitzpatrick’s Comfort from Romans. Though Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening is a full-year devotional, each one stands alone, so it is easy to pick up mid-year. I recommend the version that is slightly modernized by Alistair Begg.
Though the ESV Men’s and Women’s Devotional Bibles do have 365 devotions, they are not dependent upon daily reading, so may prove a good option. They go well with the ESV Scripture Journals.
Topical Devotionals
If you are struggling in a particular area or eager to be taught in one, you may benefit from a topical devotional. Here I’d suggest the 31 Day Devotionals for Life series from P&R Publishing. They cover a number of key topics like Trusting God’s Promises, Putting God First, Fighting for Purity, and so on. I also recommend the short series by Lydia Brownback with volumes covering Trust, Joy, Contentment, and Purity and the short series by Keri Folmar which offers volumes on Faith, Grace, Joy, and Zeal. Those interested in some Old Testament study may appreciate Nancy Guthrie’s 5-volume Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament series, each of which covers 10 weeks of study. Some may also enjoy Leland Ryken’s 40 Favorite Hymns for the Christian Year. (Note: As Christmas approaches you’ll find a large number of seasonal options.)
Bible Studies
Some may enjoy structuring their devotions around a Bible study. While many of these are geared to small groups, they are equally suitable for couples or individuals.
Reformed Expository Bible Studies by P&R Publishing is a relatively new series and currently offers studies on 9 or 10 of the books of the Bible. Each study is 13 lessons long and each lesson is likely to take several days to complete. They nicely complement the sermon-based Reformed Expository Commentary series for those who wish to dive deeper.
The Good Book Guides from The Good Book Company feature a number of authors (e.g. Tim Chester, Al Mohler, Mike McKinley, Tim Keller) and quite a collection of books of the Bible. They pair well with the God’s Word for You series of general-level commentaries which are by the same authors.
Crossway’s Knowing the Bible series is based around 12-week studies and has now reached its full 45-volume length. The series was edited by J.I. Packer and Dane Ortlund and features a long list of authors that includes Jared Wilson, Greg Gilbert, Kathleen Nielson, Lydia Brownback, and Justin Holcomb.
The Let’s Study series by Banner of Truth has studies on quite a number of New Testament books written by authors such as Sinclair Ferguson, Derek Thomas, and Derek Prime.
Finally, Lydia Brownback has three new “Flourish Bible Study” volumes on Esther, Luke, and 1-2 Peter while Kathleen Nielson’s Living Word Bible Studies are available for 8 or 10 different books of the Bible.
As you see, there is no need to wait until January 1 to get into a devotional resource that will be a blessing to you. There are lots of options available that can help you finish strong in 2021. We are richly blessed.
