3 Things Your Child Needs to Know About God During Hard Times
It had been a really hard day, and it was only two in the afternoon. After a long year of hard times, my sweet boy had reached the end of his rope.
It took me a few minutes to find him. He was overwhelmed by all the stuff going on and ran to his secret quiet place to find some peace. I crawled next to him in his sacred space and just sat there. And then it happened. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said: “Mommy, I feel like God has forgotten about us.”
My heart broke for my little man that day. I held him in my arms as he sobbed and sobbed. Life was just more than he could handle in that moment. It wasn’t fair. He was hurt and confused and just didn’t understand why.
In that moment, I felt the same so we just sat together and cried for a while.
3 Things Our Children Need to Know About God During Hard Times
Sometimes when the world rages and people hurt each other, our sweet children get caught in the crossfire. In those times, I’ve learned to point my boys to the cross and the Bible to find comfort and peace. On this day, I wiped my son’s tears and I reminded him of a few things.
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God Loves You
Children need to know that God loves them – especially when things are hard. When friends say mean things or parents break promises they need to know that they have a heavenly Father who loves them. My boys know that I love them very much and I have made it a point to teach them that God loves them even more than that. We have memorized many verses about God’s love. It’s these verses that we cling to when life tries to make us forget.
2. God Always Keeps His Promises
My boys know that God cannot lie. So when we read the Bible and it says that God will work things out for our good we can take that promise to the bank. That day I started reminding my son of all the promises that we can find in the Bible. We talk a lot about different names of God in our home. It’s a great way to get to know who God is and what He promises.
3. God is Always There
A few years ago we memorized Psalm 23. That scripture really came to life for us while reading Pilgrim’s Progress during our morning devotions. That day I started reciting the verses that always bring me great comfort. I got through a few verses before a sweet, soft voice joined me. When we got to the part about the valley of the shadow of death I could hear peace wash over my son.
When we finished the Psalm he smiled up at me. Thanks mom. I almost forgot about that scripture. God’s here even if I don’t feel like He is.
Life gets messy and hard but understanding these few simple truths about God can help you keep your joy and peace. It’s been a hard lesson for my boys but it’s one that I know will carry them through many trials.
Blessings,
100 Words of Affirmation Your Son/Daughter Needs to Hear
Matt and Lisa Jacobson want you to discover the powerful ways you can build your children up in love with the beautiful words you choose to say every day–words that every son and daughter needs to hear.
These affirmation books offer you one hundred phrases to say to your son or daughter – along with short, personal stories and examples – that deeply encourage, affirm, and inspire.
So start speaking a kind and beautiful word into their lives daily and watch your children–and your relationship with them–transform before your eyes.
