THAT’S JESUS!

I began reading God’s Word to my son when he was in my womb over 30 years ago; I was 32 weeks pregnant when I bought the Children’s Picture Bible retold by Carol Watson for him.

While rocking on our blue-cushioned glider and gazing down at the pages and my expanded tummy, I loved reading Biblical stories to my baby in utero. In the first sitting, I read pages 9 – 19, covering The Creation Story, Cain and Abel, Noah’s Ark, and The Flood. Thanks to the inscription I wrote in that Bible, I can recall these specific details all these years later.

In addition to initially reading God’s Word to my son in the womb, it was also exciting when he would later read stories from his children’s Bible to his dad and me. As he continued to grow, I cherished our devotions and related conversations, smiling at the questions his young mind pondered, such as “Does God have a wife?” And revelations that suddenly hit him, such as, “Mommy, Mommy, I think I know what God looks like… Maybe he looks a little like each of us.”

Parents are instructed in both Psalm 145 and Psalm 78 to speak of God’s awesomeness to our children. Psalm 78:4-6 (NLT) says:

“We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,
so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.”

As I journey through my second half of life, I am grateful beyond words to have seen my parents, grandparents, and other relatives diligently living out their faith during my youth. It was in Sunday School at St. John A.M.E. Church in Bermuda where my parents met during their childhood over 70 years ago. My siblings and I then benefited from the spiritual legacy their parents had passed on to them, which has significantly shaped my walk with Christ.

The “Legacy” chapter in The Bible in A Year says, “Like a feast that’s meant to be shared, our experience of God’s faithfulness should be passed on to future generations.” The ‘rhyming poet’ in me adds:

From generation to generation is the key
And this is what Psalm 145:4 tells us it should be.

Because I’ve held on to the Children’s Picture Bible all these years, I more recently enjoyed sharing stories from it with my great-niece, who was three years old at the time. I’ll never forget how focused she was, and after our Bible time together, she saw artwork of a baby angel and excitedly pointed, exclaiming, “That’s baby Jesus!”

Pointing to Christ, exclaiming, “That’s Jesus!” helps generations to see
The glorious deeds of our Savior and his power for eternity.

Dear God, thank you for the gift of living life with you and the ways you allow me to share your awesomeness with other generations, and for the ways other generations share your love with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Throughout this day: Open your Bible, settle your physical body, and hear God speak. Ask him to show you ways you can share his “mighty wonders” with the next generation, who, in turn, will share with future generations.