Toys and games are great, but the best gifts from God, because they last a lifetime and beyond. Harbor Network pastor, Ronnie Martin, and Harvest House Publishers recently released a new Advent devotional entitled The Best Gift Ever Given: A 25-Day Journey Through Advent from God’s Good Gifts to God’s Great Son. The devotional will help your family to understand how all of Scripture points toward Jesus. Each day your children will… 

• learn a key Scripture verse based on that day’s brief teaching

• interact with modern and detailed illustrations that correspond to the text

• answer insightful, open-ended questions to help apply the day’s reading

• read a prayer that reinforces the biblical concept being taught

I recently had the opportunity to ask Ronnie some questions about his new project. Here’s what he had to say.

Jared: What led you to write The Best Gift Ever Given?

Ronnie: First, I absolutely love and adore the Christmas/Advent season. It's truly the highlight of the year for me. Because of that, I've always wanted to write a Christmas-themed book or devotional. So, when I was on sabbatical in early 2018, the idea to write an Advent book for children came to me. I did a little research and noticed that an abundance of these kind of books hadn’t been written and certainly not for awhile. I contacted an old friend of mine named Nathan Schroeder who had done a lot of graphic work for me during my time in the music industry, and he whipped up some samples that happened to go perfectly in line with the kind of original and modernist look and feel I wanted. In the end, my hope was for parents/grandparents to have something for their kids that might reorient them back to Scripture during the Christmas season.

Jared: The subtitle for your devotional is "From God's Good Gifts to God's Great Son," and the book is organized around twenty-five gifts we receive from God? Can you explain the significance of this theme?

Ronnie: I was an incredibly materialistic child. When the Christmas season was in view, my mind was utterly consumed with getting everything my heart desired. And when I didn't, I would enter the New Year with my hopes dashed! Although it's easy to dismiss something that sounds almost inconsequential in some ways, it really shaped my relationship with God, and what I considered most valuable in relationship to what He most valued. What I was hoping to accomplish with Best Gift was to highlight the truth that the many blessings God gives us are meant to point us to THE BLESSING God has given to us in Christ. It's a book about what is better than our best. In that way, it's a book for adults, too. :)

Jared: If a family chose to use The Best Gift Ever Given for family devotions during Advent, are there any tips you'd encourage them to keep in mind?

Ronnie: Go slow! There's not a lot of text, so pause in between sentences, answer some of the questions included, and allow the imagination to soar a little. Also, it doesn't necessarily need to be read sequentially, so if you miss a day here or there, pick it back up and keep plugging away. I find it goes well with hot chocolate and baked goods, too.

Jared: As I read through the book, one of the things I noticed was how many questions you ask. They don't just come in the reflection section of each devotional, but you also use them throughout each devotional section? Was that intentional? What was your goal when asking so many questions throughout?

Ronnie: It was intentional! My communication style (in conversation, preaching, writing, etc.) is to ask questions, because this is what inspires the imagination toward deeper reflection and creative contemplation. More than anything, this book should be a springboard for parents and kids to recount God's wondrous works and learn to become more thankful in the process.

Jared: Nathan Schroeder's illustrations are great. I love the detail in Joseph's coat on December 10, for instance, and in Isaiah's beard on December 19. Can you tell me a little about how the illustrations serve the devotional content of the book? How do you imagine families interacting with the illustrations during their devotional times?

Ronnie: Nathan used a more subtle, abstract style that calls for pause and reflection. The illustrations are like the text in that they inspire you to ask questions and imagine what might be. My hope is that families don't rush through these advent readings, but take some time at the end of a long day to slow down, read, discuss, imagine and pray through these pages. To be intentional in putting down the devices for a few minutes and let the mind be filled with some hope and wonder.

The Best Gift Ever Given is an excellent ADVENTure for families this season. Pick it up to gain a deeper appreciation of God’s goodness and practice a stronger sense of gratitude for the ultimate gift of salvation.