Eager to read the bible but too young to get their own. So children are seen with big thick adult bibles. All the time.

Cute!

But how about big adults seen with children’s bible? It doesn’t happen often. Even if it does, nobody wants to be cute that way. Nobody wants to be caught with one.

Being a children’s pastor for many years, I’ve secretly develop a love for seeing Godly things from children’s perspective. I try to emulate how they see, do and feel things. I am fascinated by their wonder about life and love. About everything for that matter.

One of the things I have developed is the fascination on how they see God and approach godly things.  That led me to love reading the children’s bible.

Perhaps it started by my responsibility to preach the bible often to children as young as 2-3 years old in the children services. I would prepare my sermon, first reading from the adults bible. And then I will check with the children’s version to ensure I use words that children can understand.

Now that I no longer preach to children (or as much), I’ve continued to use the children’s bible. Only this time, I read the children’s bible first. Then I will check with the adults’ version for context and accuracy.

Reading it first with as simple words as possible helps me approach God in a not complicated childlike manner. It’s a more intimate process for me and it really feels like approaching God starts to move from my head to my heart.

Today on my Bible Gateway page (web application to get to the bible easily), the default setting is to the NIRV which is the children version of the adults’s NIV. Everyday they present a Verse of the Day.

Today’s Verse of the Day, strike me in my quiet time  >>

How direct, simple. How straight forward is this?

Today I must…… 1) Worship Him …… 2) Honor Him ……. 3) Keep His Commands ….. 4) Obey Him …….. 5) Serve Him …….. 6) Remain True to Him.

I feel it sums up what I’m to do the whole day.

I reflected through every single command there, slowly and intimately as if God is speaking directly to me today. Infact, it can be what I’m to do this week, month, year … or even the rest of my life.

Hearing those simple instructions in the presence of God in my quiet time is more authentic to me. It’s because that’s truly how God will speak to me in real life. He will use as simple words as he know to me. Those ‘Heart’ words. Not mind words like “Ye”s and “Thou”s.

I believe the words from the children’s bible suits me more.

Well, I did check with the adults bible for accuracy. Indeed it says almost the same thing except that it used more words and slightly different ones.

The children’s version is better and I love how the children bible speaks to me. I encourage all childlike creatives who reads the bible to try to get hold of a children bible and read from that. If you are not well verse with the bible, I encourage to study through it all first in the adults version and then in your devotion to use a children’s bible.

Who knows. Maybe you can get from fruits for your and experience what’s it really like…. LIKE AN AUTHENTIC CHILD OF GOD.

Reading from the children’s bible! What do you think? Am I the only one? Love to hear from you.