God is Bigger Than Big
by Sara Rivas
Hi, Downey Church friends and family. I’m excited to be able to share the kids’ story again.
Alright, so there have been a lot of things going on around us. I hope you’re not watching too much news, but I’m sure that you’re seeing some of the ashes and some of the things happening this week around us. I hope that you are all safe and that your extended families are also safe.
When things get uncertain, it can get a little scary, especially for kids. And so I just wanted to share a silly little kids’ story that I think might lighten up your mood. At the end, I have some Bible verses for you that are quick and easy to memorize, and you can always recite them. So, let’s get started.
God Is Bigger Than Big is the title of this one.
Alright, so this story is about an adorable little bunny, and her name is Bella, and her friend Tim, the turtle. Bella and Tim loved to hang out and play every day. They liked to sing songs, and they liked to have fun. They lived in this meadow, and it was beautiful and peaceful.
But sometimes in the meadow, they would have days that weren’t so beautiful. Sometimes it was hard to see the sun because dark clouds would roll by. Sometimes the wind would howl extra loud. When that happened, it would really scare the poor bunny. She would say, “Oh, Tim, I’m afraid. I have this feeling of fear in my heart. I don’t like it when it gets this dark. I don’t like when the wind blows this strong.”
Tim reminded her, “Remember what my Grammy told me? She said, ‘God is bigger than big.’ Yes, the darkness might seem really big and scary, but God is bigger than that. Yes, the wind might sound really strong, and it might scare you. It might make you cover your ears. But God is bigger than the strong wind. Remember, He calmed the wind.”
Tim kept reminding Bella the bunny that it was okay.
One day, when it was particularly dark and very windy, Bella started to cry. She said, “You know, I’m feeling so worried because of how dark it is outside and how loud the noise is from the wind rustling.”
Timmy reminded her, “Hey, you know what? We could always go to God with our fears.”
So they prayed and said, “Dear Jesus, please be with us. We know that You are bigger than the big scary things that are out here in this world. Please, please, please be with us.”
They kept talking and praying to God and singing. Before they knew it, the wind blew all those ugly clouds away. Then the sun was shining bright again, and Bella could feel the warmth of the sun. She said, “Oh, Timmy, you’re so right. I just need to remember to trust that my God is big, and He is strong, and He can protect us even when things do seem dark and scary.”
And so, like all kids’ stories, they lived happily ever after in the meadow, and they remembered to trust their God when things got scary.
Alright, so that Bible verse I had promised is 1 John 4:4: “The one who lives in you”—and that’s in each and every one of you, boys and girls—”is stronger than the one who is in the world.”
We know that not everyone is very nice, and we know that the devil is out there, and ugly things do happen. But our God is still stronger, and that’s really comforting.
Another one of my favorites is Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”
It’s beautiful to be able to trust our God. He is awesome, and He’s always there for us.
So, let’s just say a quick word of prayer:
“Dear Jesus, thank You so much for loving us and always protecting us. Please help our hearts to not feel weary, and help us instead to have the wonderful, peaceful feeling of calm that You provide to us, Lord. It just doesn’t make sense for us to feel peaceful and calm, but You somehow know exactly what to give us when we ask You for it, Lord.
“I encourage us, as adults and as kids, to come to You and to give You all of our worries and our stressors. Sometimes it might be what’s going on around us, or maybe our financial situation, or maybe it’s a hard test that’s coming up. But help us give all of that to You.
“We love You so much, and we thank You for dying on the cross for us. In Your sweet name, we pray, Amen.”
Alright, don’t forget these verses—they’re helpful. Bye!