Every week at the church we have a children’s moment. It’s always a refreshing time to hear the hilarious or insightful answers that are given by the young ones at church. Kids are honest and it can be really funny. The past year the pastor here has emphasized that our children are learning the same lessons that we are when they go to their children’s church. Basically, they are learning what we are learning. At first, I really did not see the importance of his emphasis on teaching the same thing to the children. But when I think about it now, something new occurred to me.

Some adults don’t think that the children’s stories we share from the Bible hold any real significance for us as adults. We only need the adult, complicated scriptures, not the stories. Is that true though? Didn’t Jesus teach adults with parables which are essentially stories. Yes, he did. He made the message relatable to everyone, so that everyone could understand it.

So here I sit now contemplating these stories that I studied in children’s church that I now realize hold real true-life lessons for my grown up life and situations. Stories such as some of those from the Old Testament.

We hear stories about people like Abraham. Wow, he made mistakes and even lied, but he listened and had faith. He obeyed God even when it seemed crazy. Leaving everything he had ever known behind to go to a promised land. He waited for a child of promise, even being willing to sacrifice him when God asked him to. To sacrifice that long-awaited son. So, we can know how to live out a walk of faith by looking at the life of Abraham. Trusting, obeying, and believing. We also see faith in obedience in Nahmen. We read his story in second Kings five. He receives healing from leprosy. Of course, at first he was angry with the instructions he received. He wanted to be recognized for his position. He wanted to be treated better than he was being treated by the one who offered him healing. He wanted a great task to do not something simple. Instead, he was asked to go bathe in a dirty river. It took a humble servant to remind him that he needed to humble himself and obey. His servant told him if you had been asked to do a great thing you would have done it. But you’ve been asked to do something simple. You see Namman needed to realize that only through humble obedience is their true restoration. What a great lesson for all of us that we can learn through the life of Nahmen. That’s a lesson for adults and children alike.

What about Josiah in second Kings 22? He demonstrated to us a righteous life and a heart of repentance. He pleaded with God to have mercy on his nation because he knew there were many in their nation that were going their own way. He was not only concerned with himself and his own sin, but he was concerned with the sin of all of his people. So, it came about that he and all of his people made a covenant with the Lord.  To obey the Lord with all their hearts and souls. We learn that the walk of faith is a walk of righteousness and repentance through the life of the righteous king Josiah. 

King David is another character from the bible we hear so many stories about. Chosen but not preferred as a child yet God chose him because God looks on the heart. We learn to love God loudly and openly as he did. He danced with such abandon and joy over the ark of the covenant returning to the people that he danced his clothes off. I don’t recommend naked dancing in church, but the point is unabashed, unashamed worship to God is OK. He’s worthy. When David sinned with Bethsheba and committed adultery and murder, he repents and returns to God. What a lesson! That we are not perfect and when we make mistakes we come to God with a humble heart and ask for forgiveness. He asked to be restored in his relationship with God. “Created me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, O Lord, and take not your Holy Spirit from me but restore unto me the joy of my salvation and renew a right spirit within me.” That was David’s prayer. What a lesson! No matter how great your sin, God’s grace is greater if you just seek it. God will see our heart of repentance and he will forgive us. Whether you’re an adult or a child that’s the message you benefit from hearing.

What about the ladies of the Old Testament? Women such as Esther. In her story we see that God uses us all in very unique ways. He called her to where she was to save all of her people. “For such a time as this.” God makes no mistakes about when and where you were born. Through her life we see that we should live humbly, in obedience, and search to reach out from where we are. We need to serve knowing that God will place you where he needs you. You just have to be willing to see it and walk in the way he gives you to walk.

Miriam was the first recorded female prophetess in history well biblical history. She trusted God and boldly spoke for him. Her bravery shaped the course of history for the entire Jewish nation. She even helped as a young woman to save her brother Moses. It seems like such a simple thing, but it was an act that would change the course of history for Israel. She also like David praised and we see this in scripture, but she praised with the tambourine. Very exciting. Leading all the women in worship. We see that she, although not the main leader in the story of that time, played a key supporting role. She was vital to the story and to the events that happened. Where would the storyline be without Mariam there to help save her brother. To continue to support him when he returned and praise God for it unashamed. She was a slave so much of her life, yet she found true freedom. So much we can learn from that young girl placing her brother in the Wicker basket in the Nile River depicted so often in children Bible storybooks.

Time and again in the Old Testament in the lives of people both women and men, people who were once very real and alive but have long since passed. We see that their stories are not just stories for children to read. They are for us all. They prove that God showed up. Whether it’s the story of Noah, Sarah, Jacob, Paul, Deborah, Tamar, Elijah, Rehab, Elisah, Boaz, Naomi, Isaac, Solomon, Daniel, Sampson, Moses, Samuel, Aaron, Joshua, Rehoboam, Ahaz, and on and on it goes. Maybe it’s time for you, as a grown up, to have a few children moments of your own. Look at these old stories and see them through new grown-up eyes. I guarantee you will discover faith in the face of opposition, perseverance despite great challenge, and God’s continuing faithfulness to all generations.  You will see time and again God’s calling and leading, God provision in spite of our imperfections and inefficiencies, and so much love that’s completely undeserved for all of us, past generations and present included. So much we can learn, if we are willing to once again sit for story time and open the Bible. Open your heart to what God can show you through those simple children’s church Bible stories.