Dear Parents…
Welcome to Bible Time for Kids! Bible Time for Kids is a series of daily devotions for children and their families. Our purpose is to supplement our Sunday morning curriculum and give you an opportunity to encourage your children to develop a daily devotional life. We hope you and your family will be blessed as you study God’s Word together.
Day One
One of the best ways that we can see that God is in control of all things is through what the Bible calls prophecy. Prophecy just means to speak forth the Word of God. God used people in the Old Testament called prophets to declare His word to His people. Sometimes the prophets would also tell God’s people about things that would happen in the future. This would prove to people that God was over everything and knew the future. They didn’t have the Bible then, and God would speak through the men who wrote the Bible. The Prophets told of a time when the “Messiah” would come. The Messiah is the one who is anointed (chosen)by God who would come to take away the sins of the world.
Isaiah was a prophet and God spoke through him about the coming Messiah several hundred years before Jesus came. This shows us that God is in control of all things and we can trust in Him and His word. Isaiah said that Jesus would come as a child. He is also called Mighty God in Isaiah and we are told that He will sit on the throne of David forever. What does all of this mean?
As you think about the birth of Jesus, remember that God became a man in Jesus Christ and lived among all of us. We can look to Jesus to see and understand who God is. And we also learn that Jesus set aside all of the glory of heaven to be born as a little baby in a manger. Yet, even as He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, He was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. God had everything planned since time began to provide salvation for us. We can rest in the Lord because He is in control of all things.
• What did Isaiah say would happen several hundred years before it happened?
• How does Jesus help you to understand God better?
• As you think about the birth of Jesus, what are you thankful for?
Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Prophecy: Speaking the “Word of God.” It can be telling about future events or just speaking forth what God says (the Bible).
Prophet: Someone who speaks forth the “Word of God.
Messiah: The anointed or chosen one; Jesus.
Day Two
Nebuchadnezzar's Lesson
Text: Daniel 4:35 - “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” Also read Daniel 4:28-37
“Wasn’t that the greatest skit that you have ever seen?” Sara said. “Oh, and wasn’t I great in the part of Mary? My acting was just superb. I don’t think that anyone has seen as good of acting anywhere!” Sara kept boasting to her brothers and friends after the Christmas play at church. She did a great job acting as Mary in the play, but now she was letting everyone know it. Dad had overheard her telling everyone how great she was and later when they got home he sat down next to her and began to talk to her. “You did a fine job tonight,” said Dad. “I know,” Sara responded proudly. Then Dad gently said, “That’s what I want to talk to you about, how great you think you did.”
Dad began to share how that God blesses His children with gifts and talents. But we have to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who gives us those gifts and abilities, not us. And always it should be God who is glorified. Dad then shared the story of Nebuchadnezzar. He explained how that Nebuchadnezzar was given the position of king. He eventually ruled over the entire world. He began to think that he was in control and not God. He wanted to receive the glory for his kingdom and not give any glory to God.
Because of his great pride, God had to teach him a lesson. God reminded him that He was the one who gave him the ability to rule. Then, after Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson he began to glorify God. “God has blessed you with a wonderful talent Sara,” said Dad, “But God wants you to give Him the glory for it.”
God also wants us to give Him the glory in all things. We need to remember that apart from Him we can do nothing. Anything good that we do is only through Him and for His praise.
• How was God still in control even when Nebuchadnezzar thought he was?
• What will you do the next time that you are tempted to take the glory for something that God is doing in your life?
Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Boasting: Telling others how great we are; bragging.
Glorify: To give praise or honor to God.
Day Three
Little Town of Bethlehem
Text: Micah 5:2 - “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Also read Micah 5:2-4 and Luke 2:1-5
Dad had just finished reading the Christmas story to the family. Joel had a puzzled look on his face and Mom asked him, “What are you thinking?” Joel said, “I thought Jesus was born in Nazareth. Wasn’t that where He is from? But here it says he was born in Bethlehem. I just don’t understand.” “Well,” Dad said, “actually he was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth. Nazareth was the city where Mary and Joseph lived. There’s a lot we can learn from this story about how God is in control of all things.
“God said that Jesus would come out of Bethlehem over 400 years before his birth. He told it through His prophet Micah (Micah 5:2). Bethlehem was about 70 miles away from Nazareth. Nazareth is where Joseph and Mary were living when Mary was about to have Jesus. How would God fulfill His word? He used the leader of the entire Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus. He was kind of like the king of the whole world at that time. But God put it on his heart to make a decree that everyone would have to go to the place they were from to be registered for taxes. It is amazing that this happened just at the right time when Jesus was about to be born. Mary and Joseph were both related to David who came from Bethlehem, so they had no choice but to travel to Bethlehem to be registered.
“So they traveled to Bethlehem and when they arrived Mary gave birth to Jesus. It was in the very city that the Prophet Micah told about. When God promises something in His Word He will move nations and kings to make it happen. That’s exactly what He did here. We can trust the Lord, because we know that He has everything under His control.” “Wow, that’s a neat story,” Joel replied. Then Joel and his family prayed and thanked the Lord that He is in control of all things.
• How did God get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem?
• How does knowing that God is in control of all things help you to trust Him?
• How does this story help you know that the Bible is true?
Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Bethlehem: City where Jesus was born as foretold in Micah 5:2.
Day Four
It’s All Under Control!
Text: Genesis 40:23 - “Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.” Also read Genesis 41:1-45
Joseph is an amazing man! If there was anyone who ever could have thought that everything was out of control it was probably Joseph. He was not treated fairly several times. His brothers wanted to kill him, but instead sold him to be a slave. He ends up in Egypt and gets wrongly accused of a crime he never committed. Then he goes to prison. There he interprets dreams for others who are in prison and they get released while he remains there. Joseph even asks one of them to remember him when he is released. But the other prisoner forgot about Joseph. There was Joseph in prison, all alone and forgotten. Or was he?
It seemed like things just kept happening to him. How could God work out good in all of the bad things that were happening to him? Maybe he thought that God forgot him or somehow that God wasn’t in control of this situation. But he remained faithful to the Lord, even when it was very hard for him to do so. Then one day everything changes for Joseph. God was in control all along and everything had to happen in his life for a purpose.
After 2 years the butler finally remembers Joseph. Joseph interprets a dream for Pharoah and then immediately is released from prison and becomes the second in command over all of Egypt. Then it starts to make sense. God was going to use Joseph in this position to bless the rest of his family and save Israel from destruction. God was still in control of all things.
When things are tough in our lives, remember the story of Joseph. Remember that God has everything in His control. He can and will work good into any situation for His children (Romans 8:28).
• How did God turn everything around for Joseph?
• How does Joseph’s life help you to trust in the Lord more?
Kid’s Bible Activity
Make a book of drawings showing all of the “bad” situations that Joseph was in. Then draw how God rescued him. Keep this as a reminder that God is in control.
Day Five
Who Holds It All Together?
Text: Colossians 1:17 - “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Also read Psalm 93
If you ever want to see how God is in control of all things, you don’t have to look very far, just look up! Look at the universe, the planets, the stars or the moon. How did they get there? Why do they stay there? How did our planet get positioned at just the right distance from the sun and stay there so that we could live? Could any of these things just happen? Like a beautiful work of art doesn’t just appear on a canvass, it takes an artist to create it, the beauty that we see all around us was done by a wonderful artist, it was done by God. He created everything and holds everything together for us.
This is another way that we see that God is in control of all things. If He can create this universe and hold it all together, certainly He can help us in our needs. God’s word says that He is there for us and will help us. It’s comforting to know that we have a great, big, powerful God on our side. In the Psalm that we read it says that the Lord is mightier than the mighty waves on the sea. It’s great to know that we can trust in Him.
Also in the Psalm it says three interesting things about God’s power. It says first, that because of God’s strength the world cannot be moved. Second it says that His throne is established and everlasting. And third, His testimonies or word is very sure. We can trust in the Lord because He is in control of all things. The world or other people may sometimes let us down, but when we trust in the Lord, He will never let us down.
• How does God’s creation help you to understand His power?
• Are there some things that you may be worried about that you can give to Him?
• What are some ways that you can trust in the Lord more?
Kid’s Prayer Time
There is a lot that we can be thankful for. This week when you pray you can thank the Lord for being in control of all things. Ask Him to help you to trust in Him more and more.
Memory Verse…
First and Second Grade
“And she brought forth her firstborn Son…and laid Him in a manger…”
Third Grade and Above
“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:7