God has given us His Word to help us remember who He is and what He has done. And within His Word, we find numerous examples of God providing all kinds of reminders for His people.
When the flood waters receded, God gave Noah the rainbow as a reminder of His promise never to flood the whole world again. When God rescued the Israelites from the final plague in Egypt, He told them to remember the One who had saved them by eating the same meal on the same day every year. And when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, God commanded them to take 12 stones— one for each tribe—and stack them on the riverbank as a reminder of how God had enabled them to cross on dry land.
God knows that we are forgetful people. He knows that we need reminders we can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch.
Providing reminders within our ministries is therefore an extension of what God has already done for His children for all generations. It is a way we can help them take God with them wherever they go. Here are a few specific ideas you might want to try...
A visible Bible verse can go a long way toward reminding children of important truths about God and themselves. You can have kids create their own verse images by writing down a verse and drawing or decorating around it. Or, you can create a verse image to share with them.
Everyday items such as bread, fish, water, fire, fruit, and oil are full of symbolic meaning in Scripture. Colors and numbers are similarly used. We can help kids understand and remember these rich layers within God’s Word by providing them with images of things they can see and experience repeatedly. Try adding symbols, colors, and numbers to ordinary items kids use such as bookmarks, backpack tags, bracelets, and more.
Songs based on scriptural truths can remind us of God’s goodness anywhere we go, whether we sing them ourselves or simply listen to them. Make time to listen together to a specific song that reminds children of what you have already read in Scripture. Create a themed playlist of songs for children to hear while they are doing other activities. And, be sure to make parents aware of the songs you are using in your ministry so they can keep children engaged in hearing them.
God knows that talking about His commands helps us remember them. That’s why He says we should “talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (Deuteronomy 6:7 NLT). Make it easy for families to do this by providing conversation starter ideas that correspond to things the children are reading and discussing together at church.
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