Here is the answer to the cliffhanger: Jesus welcomed them. His disciples tried to send the children away, but Jesus did not turn a single child back. He had time for them, and He wanted them close.
What this moment shows
It is a small scene, but it says a lot. Children were being sent off, and Jesus made room for them anyway. A child does not have to be older, quieter or more grown-up to be wanted by Jesus. They are welcome just as they are.
In our story, God Knows My Name, that welcome is set beside the words of Psalm 139. Children hear that God knows when they sit and when they stand, that He stays with them everywhere, even in the dark, and that He knit them together before they were born. Then they meet Jesus, and they see that same love in person.
Why it matters for kids
Kids sometimes feel like they are in the way, too little or too loud, or that they have to wait until they are bigger to matter. This story answers that gently. They are fearfully and wonderfully made. God thinks about them more than all the sand on the shore. And Jesus always has time for them.
The memory verse that goes with the story is a lovely prayer to say together at bedtime:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)
Talk about it at home
- How do you think the children felt when they were told to go away? How might they have felt when Jesus welcomed them?
- God knows you and stays with you, even in the dark. When is a time you are glad to know that?
You might also ask your child what their favorite Jesus story is. The answers can be wonderful.
Keep reading together
The whole story, read aloud and illustrated, is waiting in the app and on the web. It comes in four versions: Seeds (ages 2–4), Sprouts (4–6), Branches (6–9) and Roots (9–12). With Read to me, the app narrates every page and highlights each word as it is read. After each story there is a memory verse, discussion questions, a song and printable coloring pages. This story is $1.99 in one age, or $7.50 in all four ages, yours to keep. Or the family membership: Every story in every age, new ones as they come, and Bible studies for teens and parents: $6.99 a month or $49 a year. Your first book is free: God Made Everything.
