In 52 Weeks, Oscar C. Johnson takes a new approach to daily devotions with week-long topic studies for in-depth learning.
Where most devotionals introduce a new concept every day, Johnson gives “the reader something to focus on for more than one day.” In this versatile Bible study tool, Johnson focuses on one important aspect of Christian living for an entire week. After studying the Bible this way himself, he states that this approach gave “greater insight to that topic and made it more pertinent to my life.”
Johnson covers a wide array of topics, such as humility, happiness, worldliness, time management, temptation and more in this year-long devotional that may be read straight through or cherry-picked based on current interests and needs. He provides scripture references for each daily entry and a brief exposition based on his own interpretations and occasionally “from the viewpoint of different authors,” although there are very few outside sources referenced other than the Bible.
Johnson states at the beginning of the book, “I don’t consider myself a great writer…I’m not a philosopher or a deep thinker…this book is relatively superficial.” His self-deprecation puts readers on the lookout for instances where he might stumble, which is unfortunate.
Although he has insightful comments throughout, his discussions are extremely brief and overshadowed by enlarged scripture verses that take up too much space, drawing attention to the fact that Johnson’s contributions are minimal; some days he includes only a handful of sentences. Compounded by typographical and grammatical issues, including confusion over “accepted” vs. “excepted,” the book has an unpolished feel.
With a thorough edit, more narrative on each topic, and perhaps adding more wisdom from scholars and experts, this devotional would excel. As is, it could possibly serve as a beginning resource for new Christians and believers who are looking for quick inspirational daily bites to ponder along their spiritual journey.
Also available as an ebook.
