THIS MONTH’S BIBLICAL THEME IS: God is Mighty.
Rahab witnessed the powerful collapse of Jericho’s walls, a testament to God’s power and protection. Gideon, with a small army, experienced God’s guidance leading to a miraculous victory. In Ruth’s story, Boaz’s kindness showed God’s providence amidst tragedy. David, armed with faith and stones, defeated Goliath. These narratives collectively emphasize God’s might in delivering His people, showcasing His strength and faithfulness in every circumstance. God is mighty and powerful!
GIDEON
Bible Passage: Judges 7
Focus Verses: Ecclesiastes 11:5; Isaiah 55:8–11; Job 11:7–9
The Israelites, forgetting God's saving grace, turned to idol worship and faced disaster. Repentant, they sought God’s aid, prompting Him to raise judges to rescue and guide them. Gideon was chosen by God. Gideon started with an army of 32,000, but God reduced it to 300. The men were armed only with torches, trumpets and jars. God miraculously confused the Midianites, causing them to fight each other, granting the Israelites victory.
God showed His mightiness to Gideon, but in unlikely ways Gideon didn’t understand. God protected the Israelites because He had promised Abraham the entire world would be blessed by His family. The Old Testament contains hundreds of promises of a coming Savior. God’s people thought that perhaps He would come as a warrior or as a ruler. But instead, He came as a baby. God came to earth as a person. No one expected that. Jesus showed His mightiness by defeating death and making a way for us to live with Him forever.
Why does God work in ways we don’t expect? God knows all things and His understanding is unlimited. He always knows the right thing to do. He shows His might by working in ways that only He can do.
What if we don’t understand what God is doing? We cannot understand all the ways God works to fulfill His plan, but we can trust He always knows what is best. We can obey His Word because we know God is mighty and good.
What does God want me to know about Him, and what does this mean for my life? Ask your child this question, answers will vary.
Almost a third of teenagers refer to themselves as religious “nones.” When our kids are in church, it is easy to assume every kid automatically believes in God. Unfortunately, in our post-Christian culture, that is no longer a safe assumption. There are kids in your church who are new to church, have not grown up in a Christian context, and are learning about faith for the first time. Some kids have grown up in church, but they are secretly struggling with unbelief or doubts. Pray for the kids in your family to have a solid faith in Jesus. Also, provide a safe place for tough questions. Be careful not to strongly react if a kid questions if what they are learning is true. Let them know that you love them and God loves them as they work out their faith.
Here’s how we discussed this topic and how you can discuss at home:
Discuss: Have you heard kids wonder if God is real?
Discuss: What would you say to a kid who wasn’t sure if they believed God was real?
Discuss: What does God have to say about that?
Say: Sometimes it can be scary to admit that we have a hard time believing everything we are learning about God is true. We don’t want people to think badly of us or we don’t want God to be mad at us. In today’s story, Gideon even questioned God in the beginning. It is okay to have questions and doubts. We can choose if those questions push us away from trying to know God more or if they help us seek Him more. Talk to a trusted adult about your questions. Be honest and ask for their help as you process. You can also talk to God about how you are feeling. In Mark 9:24, a man said to Jesus: “Help my unbelief!” Jesus didn’t get mad at the man. He healed the man’s child! God is mightier than our questions. He isn’t going to get His feelings hurt or be angry with you. Our questions can lead to us knowing and understanding Him better.