Devotions

The Story Lives On Devotion: Making Connections

We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (Acts 4:8).

Recently, as I prepared to tell our four-year-old Mission Friends the story about the kindness of missionaries sharing God’s love with people who went for help to a refugee center, I was reminded of the story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz.

Having a group of live-wire preschoolers who are still struggling with the concept of group time, I knew it was risky but decided to “wing it.” Attempting to remind them of the Bible story, which beautifully illustrates kindness and the sharing of God’s love between people of totally different cultures, I asked the children if they remembered the story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Immediately, one remembered there was a baby in that story but had baby Obed confused with Baby Jesus. Another interrupted and began to tell about the birth of Moses. Then there was Samuel’s birth and John’s birth. Eventually, I was able to get back to the connection between the Bible story and the mission story about sharing God’s love with refugee families.

Connecting mission stories and Bible stories helps preschoolers connect the Bible and missions.

Most preschoolers, by the time they are four years old, are quite verbal and eager to be heard in a group of their peers. Through this experience, my eyes were opened to the awesome task of teaching them to share the stories of the Bible while they are making connections between the Bible and missions. Who knows what plans God has for them to use such a gift as they learn to follow Jesus? Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “You are like a letter written by Christ and delivered by us. But you are not written with pen and ink or on tablets made of stone. You are written in our hearts by the Spirit of the living God” (2 Cor. 3:3 NIV¹). Just as our preschoolers “read” us, they will be read by others, and The Story lives on.

Pray: Father, You have told us Your word does not return void but will accomplish what it was sent to do. As You write Your story on the hearts of preschoolers, may I be a willing instrument in Your hand.

¹Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION^®. NIV^®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved.