One of the most wonderful things about the Word of God is its ability to appeal to generation after generation. The Bible is rich with riveting testimonies of faith and captivating stories that mesmerize readers of all ages, securing its position as the top best-selling book of all time. Sharing these stories with your grandchildren can be a fun way of introducing them to the Word of God and igniting their faith in the Lord at an early age, but it can also be a strengthening reminder of the stories that may have sparked your own belief in God.
Moving into an assisted living community or making other retirement living arrangements doesn't have to stop you from sharing Bible stories with the grandkids. Invite them to spend the afternoon in your assisted living apartment or schedule Bible story time via Zoom.
Here’s a look at three classic Bible stories that have been adored and shared by children and adults for generations.
In this timeless biblical story from Genesis 6-9, your grandchildren can learn about Noah and the ark he built according to God’s instructions before the great flood. Throughout the duration of the flood (40 days and 40 nights) and for months afterwards as the waters gradually receded, God kept Noah, his family and the animals safe and dry. After a year and ten days, when the time came at last for Noah and his family to step out on dry land atop Mt. Ararat, God made a covenant with Noah, symbolized by a rainbow. “And God said to Noah, ‘This rainbow is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all living things on the earth.’” (Genesis 9:17)
Through the story of Noah and the ark, your grandchildren can learn about the importance of listening to God and obeying his will in all things.
Interestingly, the story of Joseph is a fairly lengthy one, taking up the final 14 chapters of the book of Genesis (Genesis 37-50).
At the opening of Joseph’s story in Genesis 37, Joseph is the favorite son of the patriarch Jacob, making him a source of envy and jealousy for his twelve older brothers. Joseph frustrated his brothers on multiple occasions with his recounts of vivid and slightly subversive dreams he’s had in which he insinuates that one day they will bow before him as their ruler. So when Joseph gets a gorgeous multi-colored coat as a gift from their father, the twelve brothers reach a boiling point in their jealousy and malice for him. They trap him in a deep hole he cannot escape from, destroy his coat and sell him into slavery.
Sharing the story of Joseph and his coat with your grandchildren can be a great opportunity—especially if they have siblings—to have a conversation about how God brings every family together and makes each member of a family special with their own unique talents and gifts. You can take a moment to talk with your grandchildren about what makes each of them individually special and how they should treasure and appreciate each other’s talents rather than envy them.
One of the most popular Bible stories told in Sunday school class, the account of David and Goliath is a story of true contrasts. Found in 1 Samuel 17, the story begins when King Saul and his army are once again going into battle with the Philistines, a long-standing enemy of the Israelites. The Philistines already had a frightening advantage over the Israelites because of their command in the iron industry at the time, meaning they often had a massive surplus in quality weaponry while the Israelites were in short supply. Now, as if this advantage wasn’t enough, they had a giant named Goliath who wore near-impenetrable armor.
Enter David—a young, creative and poetic shepherd boy who played the harp for King Saul in his court. His only weapons were a sling and five smooth stones from a nearby river, and he refused to wear armor. David took Goliath down with a singular stone to the head. David went on to become perhaps the most adored, respected and quintessential king in Israeli history and is to this day referred to as “a man after God’s own heart.”
Through the story of David’s victory over the giant, you can convey to your grandchildren that God is always with them during any challenge or obstacle they may face in life, no matter how big it may seem, and the strongest armor against the trials and temptations of the world is the shield of faith and the sword of the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
There are numerous other classic Bible stories you can share with your grandchildren and use as tools to instill faith and truth in their hearts. Moses and the Ten Commandments, Joshua and the Battle of Jericho, Daniel and the Lion’s Den—the list could go on for centuries. (As, in truth, it has.) These testimonies of love, faith, hope and truth are passed from heart to heart across generations, and through this sharing, you “train up a child in the way he should go,” so that “even when he is old, he shall not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
