My 7-year-old has finished two new Children’s Bibles since the start of this year. I still remember the day when she was little, and I was about to read her the story of Abraham, who was asked to sacrifice his son as a test of his faith in God. When kids are younger, we worry about reading some of the Old Testament stories. We are afraid that their fragile heart and innocent minds will be scarred by history. After all, these are unimaginable events that are hard to rationalize. Fast forward a few years later, here I am at a place where this kid can understand that these are history lessons that occurred a long time ago. I recently purchased a big kid Bible – the NIV Adventures Bible because of her deep interest in learning more.
When your kid is ready, no matter their age, don’t be afraid to share the truth as written in the word. The Bible is real, and we know this as believers. We also know that history can teach us valuable lessons, especially in learning about the men and women of faith who taught us to be bold, courageous, loyal, faithful to God, and strong leaders.
Let’s not forget the work of the Holy Spirit as we read the word of God. My child is afraid to watch many Disney Movies, but the story of the Bible does not frighten her one bit. It is amazing how God allows you to grow in his word with wisdom and courage.
I do not remember learning the Bible so deeply when I was young, and I want to change that for my children. I would like them to place the events in history on a timeline and recognize geographically where in the world the events occurred. These provide perspective, especially as we learn parallel history along the way. This information will also equip children to grasp the fullness of the Bible stories on which our faith stands and place it into the world we live in.
WHAT BIBLES DO WE USE?
Your kid will likely read several Bibles before transitioning to his/her own full Bible. There are so many children’s Bibles that narrate the stories in different ways. These are some of the Bibles my 7-year-old used and enjoyed.
It’s All About Jesus Bible:
This is a good transition Bible from a little kids’ Bible. A friend recommended it, and I cannot recommend it enough as well. The illustrations are gorgeous. They reference the chapters in the Bible with each story, and it includes questions for your child to connect the story to Jesus.
The Children’s Bible in 365 days:
This Bible is a very old book and a family favorite. I remember reading it when I was much younger but early in my faith. My mom loves this book and says she could even read it today. It is a great way to learn Bible stories without filters. The illustrations are also a little more mature than a young Children’s Bible.
NIV-Adventure Bible:
This will be her first real BIble. It is written in NIV format. It is designed with the child in mind with colorful snippets of information, easy-to-learn verses, and other facts to help them understand people, places, and events.
OTHER RESOURCES
Story of the World
We are currently learning about Ancient History from ‘The Story of the World‘ and love to learn the Bible stories intertwined in there with the stories not told in the Bible that give greater context. There is a lot of Ancient Historical events that are helpful to read about to understand the setting in which the Bible occurred.
God’s Bible Timeline
I also recently purchased the book ‘God’s Bible Timeline‘ after a good friend recommended it, and I look forward to diving into it with my kid. This is an excellent resource as it maps out the entire timeline of events for predominant books of the Bible. It also teaches you about the setting, background, facts about the times in which certain events occurred. It is an excellent resource for even grownups who are studying the Bible.
If you ever wonder what Bible to transition to as your child grows, this is certainly one way of doing it, and I hope you will find these resources helpful.
