Children’s and youth ministry can be characterized by many different kinds of activities and programs. It’s often tempting to focus much of our weekly planning on things like being sufficiently staffed, offering fun activities, and providing child-friendly worship music, a Bible lesson, and a snack. All of these things are good—in right measure. But here is a quote that really struck me recently:
All Scripture is breathed out by God… (2 Timothy 3:16)
No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)
Pause. Let this sink in. There is a book that is unlike every other book, because it is the very word of God. You have this book. Or you have access to it. Many do not. But if you are reading this, you do. It is astonishing. Absolutely astonishing. You can hold in your hand a book whose words are the very words of God. God! Do you hear this? Really hear it?
There are no emotions of thankfulness or wonder or adoration that come close to what we ought to feel because of this book. This is why the psalmist cries out in desperation: “Incline my heart to your testimonies” (Psalm 119:36)—because our hearts cannot delight in this book as we ought, without omnipotent help from God. The book is so great, we need great help to see it and savor it for what it is. Let this sink in. God gave us a book of complete truthfulness about himself, and his saving work, and his will for us. This alone is enough to make a wise person read it and savor it deeply every day.
(“The One Must-Read This Year,” by John Piper, ©2015 Desiring God Foundation, desiringGod.org)
As people who minister to children and youth, I wonder if this kind of amazement of God’s Word is adequately reflected in our classrooms. Does it permeate every aspect of our class time? Does every activity point to the supreme treasure of who God is, as revealed in His Word? Do our worship songs convey the truthfulness of the Bible? Do we help children treasure their own Bibles—helping them to actually interact with it in a “holy” manner? And, when teaching Bible lessons, can children sense in our tone, expressions, and demeanor that we are genuinely amazed, moved, and transformed by the God-breathed words?
May our classrooms be increasingly characterized by thankfulness, wonder, adoration, and the savoring of the very words of God! And may God, by His sovereign grace, cause His Word to make our students wise to salvation through faith in Christ, for His glory and our everlasting joy!
