Resting in God’s Word as a Family

When I arrived at Christ Church in January, one of the first projects I started working on with the staff was the Ezra and Esther Family Devotions. This was an exciting project to work on first because it demonstrated our shared hope for the lives of the many generations at church: that everyone would be resting in God’s word together.

One of the key verses for my ministry, the reason I do what I do, is Deuteronomy 6:7: “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” This verse is the why behind my ministry and the why behind the devotionals. The Lord makes it clear that his word is precious, his laws are good, and the knowledge of him must be passed from generation to generation. We ought to be talking about him, his great power and faithfulness, whenever and wherever we are; up or down, he is worth talking about all the time. We talk about him so that our children will know the truth and trust that the Lord is God, and, as verse 4 of Deuteronomy 6 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Our hope in writing these devotions is that they support your family this term as we explore two unfamiliar books, but, more importantly, that they would be a starting point for you and your family, a starting point to grow deep in the word and rest in his power and might, for it is his Spirit, through his word, that changes hearts. They should only take 5–10 minutes each. We recommend finding a time of day that works well for your family, perhaps after dinner or perhaps before bed. We’ve included two devotionals per week, which we hope is achievable. Commit now to two days in the week to explore the depths of God’s word together this term, and rest in our Lord’s faithfulness as a family, for we will see that he is a great, promise-keeping God.