Over the past seven weeks, our kids from our virtual Sunday School have been learning lessons of obedience from various Bible stories, including Jonah, Saul, Samson, the city of Babel, Gideon, and Balam.
It's interesting how as an adult, you can actually learn while teaching kids. Even more significantly, while teaching about God at a kids' comprehension level, I often find that God teaches even us as adults through these children's lessons.
Through these six Bible stories with my kids in Peru, we have learned the importance of God's call to us to obey. Through the stories of Saul, Samson, Jonah, and Babel, we have learned that there are consequences when we don't obey God completely; and these consequences do not affect only us, but also those around us. We see God's mercy and opportunity of second chances in the stories of Jonah and Samson. We see the patience of God in the story of Gideon as God allows Gideon to request sign after sign of confirmation from God. We see God's care and protection for his people in the stories of Saul, Samson, Gideon, and Balam as He acts in vengeance, justice, and victory over those who threaten, attack, and oppose Israel.
I reminded the kids that thanks to Jesus we can also be part of the people of God. When we believe what Jesus did for us is the truth, and that He is the Lord of all—including the Lord of our lives—then we are adopted into the family of God. When we recognize that we can't reach God on our own—we can't even build a tower to reach the heavens without God proving that still even He is more supreme; when we recognize that the only way we can know God is through Jesus, then we also become a part of the people of God. I reminded the kids how this is great news for us! Because similar to these stories, God is going to protect us and care for us like His own children. He is going to demonstrate his love, protection, patience, and mercy to us.
This COVID season has a been a crazy one, one with a lot of uncertainties and unknowns and questions and stressors and anxieties. But through it, God keeps bringing me back to remember that I am a child of God, and He keeps encouraging me to recognize the value in that, which includes all of those mentioned above: He is protects me, He cares for me, He is patient with me, He extends mercy to me. In all, He demonstrates His love for me.
Christians, we must hold on to these truths. We are children of God, and with that role comes great value for us. Obedience is important, yes! But God is also aware that we do mess up, that we cannot reach Him without Christ's atoning sacrifice. And that atonement covers us in everything we do. So, remember to live freely, to live joyfully, and to live thankfully, because your Father is caring for you, and He has already saved you.
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