Read this first: the content in Daily Strength is drawn from the ESV Men’s Devotional Bible. If you already own that Bible, you already own most of what is in this book. Nobody tells you that on the product page, so it is worth knowing before you spend the money.
With that said, this is a genuinely good devotional. Crossway published it in 2022, edited by Sam Storms, at 459 pages.
How it is built
A year of single-page readings, arranged canonically from Genesis to Revelation, with a short introduction to each book of the Bible as you enter it. Each day gives you a passage, a brief summary of what it is doing, and a reflection.
The canonical arrangement is the best decision in the book. Most men’s devotionals are organized by topic, which means you hop from courage to money to patience with no sense of the Bible as a single story. Working straight through in order gives you a rough map of Scripture by the end of the year, on top of the daily reading.
Who wrote it
Storms edited it, but the entries come from a large group of contributors, and the names are serious: Alistair Begg, Dane Ortlund, Bryan Chapell, Greg Gilbert, Philip Graham Ryken, Christopher Ash, Jay Sklar, Drew Hunter, David Powlison, and many more. That range is the book’s strength. You are not getting one man’s voice for 365 days.
It is also a limitation of a kind. The entries vary in depth because the writers vary. Some days you get something that stops you. Some days you get a competent paragraph.
What it is not
The readings are short, a few minutes each. This is not a study. There is no workbook structure, and I could not verify that it contains discussion questions, so do not buy it expecting to run a group off it. Earlier versions of this review claimed reflection questions were woven throughout. Check the Amazon preview yourself before assuming.
It is also not especially “men’s” in content beyond the framing. The passages and reflections are the Bible applied to Christian life. That is a compliment, not a complaint, but if you are looking for a book about manhood specifically, this is not it.
Who should get it
A man who wants a full year of Scripture in order without committing to a heavy study. Someone rebuilding a devotional habit after it fell apart. The hardcover holds up well as a gift.
Skip it if you own the ESV Men’s Devotional Bible, or if you want something with teeth for a small group.