How can we fill the hearts and minds of our children with wisdom they can carry with them into a new school year?

I know. It’s way too soon to be talking “back to school”. It’s barely the middle of summer! But it’s never too early to prepare our kids for life beyond the comforts of home and family. We’re always sending them out into the world – whether public or home school, neighborhood or playground, church or summer camp. Now is the perfect time to arm our children with the strength of God’s Word so they will be ready to face whatever life brings their way.

As we walk through the Bible as a family this summer we’ll continue to focus on life building truths that will prepare our kids for the next steps in their lives. What’s In The Bible? Volume 8 covers five books of the Bible with loads of wisdom our kids can begin to understand, with our help.

What is Words to Make Us Wise all about?

Key Concepts:

• Poetry in the Bible

• Who is Satan?

• Wisdom

• Meaning of Life

• Romantic Love

History:

• Different types of songs/Psalms

• The Writings

Stories:

• Job

• King Solomon’s Wisdom

What can we learn from Words to Make Us Wise?

Psalms and Proverbs are the perfect place to start when encouraging young children to begin to read the Bible on their own. Because these books were written in simple poetic form, they are easier for kids to consider and comprehend. Psalms, Proverbs and the Writings use words to paint a picture, similar to books kids are used to reading. These books can be a beautiful gateway for our children to learn to love the Word.

Through these books kids can learn to look for clues to help them understand how to read a story or passage. Understanding Psalms as a book of poetry, for example, will affect how it is interpreted. Understanding the Proverbs as principles, not promises will determine how we apply them to our lives. Knowing what type of writing we are reading in the Bible will help us interpret what it says.

Talking to our kids about making good choices and 4 more conversation starters:

• Job – The story of Job teaches us that God is just and wise and can be trusted even when bad things happen. The book of Job is a great example of looking for clues to help us understand a story. Rather than focus on the details of the story we can learn the lesson behind it. God is in control. There is always more going on behind the scenes than we can see. Through every life experience we can learn to trust him.

• Wisdom – Wisdom is simply, “knowing what to do with what you know.” Wisdom helps us consider what we know about a person or situation and make good choices. Wisdom can come from different places including parents, leaders, teachers and even friends. But the most important wisdom we can rely on comes from God’s Word, the Bible. James 3:17 tells us what God’s wisdom looks like. We can use this verse to determine if our choices are wise.

• Help for Making Good Choices – We learned about different types of writings in these episodes of What’s In The Bible?. Reading Psalms, Proverbs and the Writings as poetry or songs helps us better understand what the writers may have been feeling when they wrote the books. When we understand the style of the writing we can make better choices in applying it to our own lives. King Solomon shared his incredible wisdom in the book of Proverbs but it’s important to read his words as principles, not promises. A principle is a truth we can stand on to guide our choices. A promise is a declaration of a particular outcome. The words of Proverbs are not promises of what will be, they are guiding truths to help us make good choices.

• The Meaning of Life – Ecclesiastes may be hard to understand but the message the writer was trying to deliver is simple. The world is the wrong place to look for happiness. When we trust God, we’ll find our meaning (or purpose) in him.

• Romantic Love – Song of Solomon is full of mushy, gushy words that sound like they belong on a Valentine’s Day card. With a whole entire book devoted to these love songs, we can be sure that marriage and romantic love is an important part of creation.

These are some of the most famous books in the Bible and can be powerful tools for helping our children grow in faith. Consider reading a Psalm or Proverb daily with your family as you continue to study the writings that make us wise. Start with this kid-friendly version of Psalm 23. Help your kids interpret what each line of poetry means and how they can apply it to their own lives.

Psalm 23 for Kids:

Jesus is my shepherd,
with him I have all that I need.
He helps me rest when I need it and brings me peace each day.
He makes me strong when I feel tired and weak.
He guides me through life so that
all of my actions point people to him.
When I walk through difficult times,
he is close beside me so I will not be afraid.
God, your gentle correction leads, protects and comforts me.
When it feels like no one is on my side,
you see me and cheer me on.
Your approval is an honor.
Your blessings are too many to count.
I trust that your goodness and never-ending love
will guide me all the days of my life.

Have you watched What’s In The Bible? Volume 8, Words to Make Us Wise with your family? What ideas have you been discussing in your home?

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Old Testament Heroes Devotional and Activity Pack

Learn even more about the Old Testament in the Old Testament Heroes Devotional and Activity Pack!

This printable pack features 25 days of devotionals and 10 new activities including a Kings of Israel crossword puzzle. 

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Jessica Wolstenholm is co-founder of Grace for Moms. After 15 years in the music and publishing industries, Jessica came home to be with her two small children. Although the transition from the corporate world to the playground has been an adjustment, she is learning every day to access the grace available to us through Christ as she navigates the full time job of motherhood. She is the co-author of The Pregnancy Companion: A Faith-Filled Guide for Your Journey to Motherhood and The Baby Companion: A Faith-Filled Guide for Your Journey Through Baby’s First Year. Jessica lives in Nolensville, TN with her husband, Dave and two miracle babies, Hope (6) and Joshua (3).