My daughter begs for me to read the Bible to her. That’s right, begs. And not just once a day, throughout the day. Every time we sit down for a meal, each night at bedtime, and even when we’re just hanging out in the den, my daughter asks me to read the Bible to her. She’s three now, and this has been going on since she was about 18-months-old.
Even though there are a few steps I took to encourage her to read the Bible and to make Bible stories accessible, I can’t take credit for her love of the Bible. I think her enthusiasm has more to do with her age than anything. For a toddler and preschooler, everything is new which makes it exciting.
However, I’m not dismissing the work of the Holy Spirit in her life, either. I pray regularly that her passion for the Bible continues. I pray for God to help me take advantage of her enthusiasm by reading to her and talking to her about the Bible as much as possible. I realize this passion will probably not continue with such intensity. It is but for right now I’m holding on tight to her young heart for His Word.
So how did she grow to love the Bible at such a young age? Here are some thoughts:
1. I created a Bible-rich environment.
We have Bibles everywhere – literally. In the middle of our kitchen table we have The Family Reading Bible, The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers, and The Children’s Storybook Bible.
We have a few other copies of The Children’s Storybook Bible in the playroom and upstairs.
Upstairs we also have a copy of The Beginner’s Bible, The Bible App for Kids Storybook Bible, Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids, and Really Woolly Bedtime Prayers.
Upstairs in my daughter’s room there’s also a very special Bible – a pink Precious Moments Bible. It was my Bible when I was growing up, and there’s still some underlining in it.
My philosophy is you can never have too many Bibles. What I like most about having so many different kinds and versions is that my daughter can read the same story and learn different details from each Bible. Children’s Bibles don’t include every story in the actual Bible since they’re condensed. So it’s nice to read different details from the major stories.
2. I introduced her to Bible stories on DVD and even YouTube.
We have a few of the What’s in the Bible? DVD’s, but I think she is still a little young for them yet. We also have some of the Veggie Tale DVD’s.
But the shows that she enjoys the most are The Beginner's Bible shows on YouTube, and they're free! The quality isn't the best, but they correspond with The Beginner's Bible so we can read the story in the Bible and then watch the show. 3. I took her to Bible study and Sunday School. For three years now my daughter has attended Bible Study Fellowship with me. Bible Study Fellowship (or BSF) is a free international ministry that teaches classes on one book of the Bible a year. The classes are from September to May, and they are once a week. Some Bible studies might only offer childcare, but at BSF the children have trained teachers, and they learn the same lesson as the adults each week. I've been amazed at what my daughter has learned. And then of course there is Sunday school. You can't forget how important Sunday school is for a child. Sometimes people wonder if a child can "get too much Bible." Is there too much exposure to the Bible? Will too much make them weird? Will too much make them resent it? Will to much make them rebel? I don't know the answer to those questions, and truthfully I don't need to know because that's God's business. What I do know is what the Bible tells me to do as a mom. The Bible tells me to "Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up" (Deuteronomy 11:19). By creating a Bible-rich environment, introducing her to Bible stories as entertainment, and taking her to Bible study and Sunday school, I am doing just that.
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