3 Biblical Truths for Children During COVID-19

I thought I would feature a devotional written by a mother of three young children that you can share with your own children. Avery Foley serves on our staff as a writer and speaker (you may recognize her from Answers News). Here is her devotional message with three biblical truths you can share with your children:

“Daddy, can we go fishing?” Unfortunately, it was suppertime and so the answer to my eager three-year-old son was, “Sorry, buddy, not right now.” He shrugged sadly and said, “Probably somebody cancelled it.”

Kids, even little kids, aren’t immune to the turmoil that COVID-19 has caused. Although they may not be feeling the anxiety, pinched budgets, and uncertainty about jobs that many parents are feeling, they’re suffering in their own way from no more playdates or visits with Grandma and Grampa, everything they were excited about being cancelled, no trips even to the grocery store, and the general feeling of unease they’re surely sensing from mom and dad, even as we try and hide it.

Our children, as always, need biblical truth during this time to calm their hearts and minds and encourage them. It’s a wonderful opportunity to teach them to cast all their cares on Jesus and run to him when they feel the troubled waters rising.

Here are three biblical truths to share with your child of any age during this time (feel free to read it to them as a devotional):

1. Our world is broken. It’s okay to feel sad or disappointed about what’s happening. This is all just a reminder that our world is broken. This isn’t how God created it; this is the result of sin. Sin, and the brokenness it causes, should make us sad. Even Jesus cried over things that were sad (John 11:35), and there’s a whole book of the Bible, Lamentations, written by a prophet, Jeremiah, who was heartbroken and lamenting (crying out to God) because of what he saw.

2. Jesus is the answer! While we may be sad, we don’t have to stay sad. The Bible says, “Weeping may tarry [last] for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5). How can we have joy when the circumstances haven’t changed? By choosing to focus on Jesus!

   You see, Jesus came and died on the cross in our place. He defeated sin and death! While our world still groans in brokenness, it won’t forever! Jesus is going to make a new heavens and a new earth where everything will be perfect again and there won’t be any crying, pain, or death (Revelation 21:4).

   If we put our faith and trust in Christ, our biggest problem has been solved! That problem isn’t COVID-19, cancelled plans, or a tight budget—it’s sin. And Jesus solved that problem on the cross for us because he loves us so much! That’s why Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

3. God is in control! We don’t have to worry or be afraid because God is in control (Job 42:2). Nothing surprises him and he has never made a mistake (Isaiah 46:9–10). We don’t know what the future will bring but we do know that God loves us and will work everything for our good (Romans 8:28). We can run to him (Proverbs 18:10) when we feel afraid (Psalm 56:3–4) because he is our rock and strong tower (Psalm 18:2). He never promises that we won’t have times that are really hard, but he does promise to walk through them with us (Psalm 23:4) and we can trust him because he is good (Psalm 34:8), kind (Psalm 86:15), and always faithful (Lamentations 3:22–23).

Be encouraged knowing that, even in all this, our heavenly Father loves his children and is sovereign over everything happening in the world and in your life. For more on this biblical truth, see my recent article “Who is Responsible for the Coronavirus?”

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.