By David and Barbara Leeman

I absolutely love the Leeman’s Christmas carol Advent devotional, so when I found out that they had also released a book on general hymns, I snapped it up! (And then I read that they’re releasing another one this summer!)

A hymn or spiritual on one page, a short devotional with the history of the song on the other. Page after page of absolute gold. You’ll learn the tragic stories behind Children of the Heavenly Father and It is Well with My Soul, and be uplifted by the inspiring stories behind Holy, Holy, Holy and How Great Thou Art. Old favorites like Be Thou My Vision are covered, as well as newer hymns by the Gettys and others. 

The hymns are categorized by types, with chapters on Advent and Christmas, Lent and Holy Week, Thanksgiving, etc. as well as general chapters on the attributes of God and our response.

Pros: This book is a super easy, quick read that will enrich your devotional life and add new meaning and depth to the hymns you sing on Sunday. While some are old favorites we’ve all known and loved, others were unfamiliar to me. I even found new favorites! 

Cons: There’s nothing for cons, other than the fact that the book is designed for family devotional time. While some of the reflections are geared more towards kids, it is still deep and full of gospel truth. I used the book for my personal devotional time, but it probably would be most effective in a group setting.

Bottom Line: An easy-to-read enriching devotional on the hymns that are tightly wound through our church history.