by Cheryl Beck
The Bible is full of stories about groups of people — the Israelites, the prophets, the disciples, to name a few. But, have you ever stopped to think about another important group — the children of the Bible?
For several weeks on Mondays, our Chapel theme at 1st Explorers After School Ministry has centered around stories of children and young people in the Bible. Here are some of the children/youth we've talked about:
Samuel — of course we had to talk about Samuel because God's calling to him was one of our son Andrew's favorite stories when he was a child! The little Servant Girl and Naaman — although we don't know her name, her courage in speaking up and her helpfulness led to her master being cured by God's servant Elisha. The children decided to give her a name! David — as a faithful shepherd for his father's sheep and as a slayer of a giant, his childhood made for an interesting lesson. Moses — the baby in the bulrushes and his mother's and sister's protection of the child who would grow up to lead his people out of Egypt sparked some thought-provoking discussion. Daniel — captured by Babylonians as a teenager, Daniel's courage and unwavering devotion to God would make today's graphic novels fade in comparison. The 1st Explorers paid close attention to the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego. The children whose parents brought them to see Jesus — although his disciples tried to send them away, we talked about how Jesus rebuked his friends and greeted the children with open arms.
Through these stories, the 1st Explorers have learned some valuable lessons:
1. That in God's Kingdom, children matter.
2. No matter how young you are, God has a place and a plan for you.
3. Regardless of the circumstances you are faced with, God is always with you.
4. Each of us, no matter how young or old, can make a difference in this world.
5. We can be strong and courageous.
6. God has placed people in our lives who can help us discern his plans for our lives (like Eli with Samuel).
How these stories fit together to tell the "Big Picture" of what the Bible is telling us is key.
The thread that runs through them is the goodness of God and his faithfulness to his promise.
Most of us grew up with these stories but some of our children may have heard them for the first time in Chapel at 1st Explorers. We remember hearing these in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. I remember my mama reading to me and my brothers from a big, illustrated Bible story book at nighttime before we went to sleep. Some children don't have these experiences. That's why I'm so thankful for the Chapel time.
As parents and grandparents, we have a wonderful opportunity and responsibility to share these and other stories of the Bible with our children and grandchildren. We can help them become more knowledgeable about God's Word by bringing them to church and VBS. We can read to them. I am grateful for the Children's Library at Sylva FBC which has a wealth of Bible story books and biographies of people in the Bible. Many of these books find their way to Chapel. You may want to check some out for use at home.
And, a good place to start is sharing some of the stories of children in the Bible. On the horizon in our series at 1st Explorers are the story of the young boy with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, Mary, Josiah, Timothy, and Jesus. We'll be incorporating drama and some props to make the stories come alive.
Hey! Does anyone have a bushel basket I can borrow?