Published by B&H Publishing on October 15, 2021
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life, Devotional
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Whether it’s a dream that isn’t coming true, a stretch of the journey that feels especially dark, or just the basic “busy and tired” each of us braves in the crazy chaos of the ordinary, have you ever faced a season where “life to the full” feels just out of reach, light seems like it it’s just over the horizon, or lies seem to crowd out the truth?
If you’re anything like Ellie Holcomb, the answer is yes. For her in these seasons, God’s Word has been a shelter, a comfort, a song, a balm, and an anchor. Ultimately, it’s been a light that has helped kick back at the darkness of the lies we so often believe. In her debut devotional, Fighting Words, you are invited to come alongside Ellie, as you ponder the power of God’s promises together and speak them into the darkest corners of your soul.
Filled with encouraging and honest reflections, beautifully designed Scripture memory pages, and wonderful questions to help you process, Fighting Words is a place where you can wrestle, respond to, and take hold of precious truths in God's Word to help you push back the lies that so often consume, distract, and destroy us.
God's Word is alive. In this devotional, Ellie invites you to steep your soul in the living Word, take hold of it, wrestle with it, bury it in your heart, and watch as it brings about life and flourishing. As you journey along with Ellie, you’ll find that little by little, you're fighting the lies with the truth, kicking back the darkness, and living in the light.
I almost never read women’s devotionals, because I expect them to be fluffy, vaguely uplifting books that I don’t relate to. However, because Ellie Holcomb’s music has been such a blessing to me over the past four years, I was interested to read a devotional from her perspective. This isn’t a conventional women’s devotional at all, because it focuses deeply on specific Scripture passages that Holcomb recommends memorizing, and on how the Bible can speak truth into our doubts, struggles, and fears. Although Holcomb writes in a conversational style and shares examples from her life, she ties these reflections directly into the Bible verse or passage for the day, rather than just sharing a story. She also shares life illustrations from a variety of different stages of her life, rather than just talking about marriage or parenting.
Fighting Words Devotional: 100 Days of Speaking Truth into the Darkness is a great resource for women and teenage girls, regardless of their specific background or life experiences. Because Holcomb delves into Scripture rather than just sharing life lessons through the lens of her experience, this book is full of insight for readers regardless whether they identify with Holcomb’s specific illustrations, and each daily reading concludes with open-ended reflection questions and a written prayer. Also, even though Holcomb specifically addresses women, much of the content applies regardless of gender, and a man who wants guidance with Scripture memory or who is a fan of Holcomb’s music shouldn’t let the female-focused marketing deter him.
Also, speaking of Holcomb’s music, she explains at the beginning of the book that if a reader isn’t familiar with her as a recording artist, she doesn’t want them to feel like she is trying to sell them her albums. She explains that when she quotes from her own song lyrics, she is essentially just sharing journal-like reflections, not trying to convince anyone that they need her songs in their life. However, if someone is interested in this because they appreciate her music, the book lives up to the kind of personal, gospel-focused, and encouraging content they would expect, and I enjoyed recognizing refrains I have sung over and over again tied in with the Scriptures that inspired them. I really appreciated this, and even though I read through it quickly for review purposes, I plan to reread the devotional over the intended one hundred days someday in the future.
