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decades of experience in teaching children the Bible.
Each of the twenty-six chapters includes a short story
followed by questions for comprehension and suggestions
for application; seventeen of the chapters focus
on the different names of God. Appropriately, the last
few stories focus on Christ and his kingship. This book
is highly recommended for its theological and understandable
content. Children not only learn God’s names
but also the gospel message throughout the book.
In one counseling session, I chose to talk about the
meaning of Yahweh-Shammah—the LORD who is
there. What a comforting and strengthening promise.
God never breaks his promises and cannot lie, so believers
can confidently cling to this truth. No, this promise
alone does not solve the girls’ struggles, but it does teach
them a valuable truth when experiencing fear or uncertainty
of the future. Even though daddy is no longer at
home, God is with them. When the girls are visiting
their father and have a conflict with him, God is with
them. Their mother can’t always be with them but God
is with them. They are never alone.
At the end, the children could personalize this lesson
in several ways. They could create a poster with
Yahweh-Shammah written on it along with a picture
that symbolizes this truth. They could also keep a journal
of their thoughts and reflect on how God is with
them. Memorizing a Scripture verse, such as Joshua 1:9,
is another suggestion. They were also encouraged to
continue sharing their thoughts with their mother so
that she would be aware of them and know how to best
help them.
As parents reinforce these principles, children learn
biblical wisdom, understand the gospel, and experience
the fruit of obedience. Much of the focus in this
case study has been on the children but the principles
apply to adults as well. Children are watching their
parents, so they need examples of fathers and mothers
who trust God.
Whenever I leave the girls’ home, I wonder if I had
listened enough, taught enough, and done enough.
There’s always a sense of wanting to do more but I am
reminded that God cares for them more than I do and
that he is Yahweh-Shammah—the LORD is there.
ENDNOTES
1
In this case, the parents are in a custody battle, awaiting
its finalization. The children were not adjusting
well to the changes so the mother asked if I would
meet with them as well. The mother participated in
the counseling sessions to clarify points and to ensure
consistency between the children’s words and what
had actually happened.
2
In addition to counseling, the mother made other provisions
to protect the children. She had an attorney for
legal counsel as well as other godly people for counsel.
She tries to protect them from harmful sights and
discussions. When the father picks up the children,
the mother meets him in a public place to avoid arguing
in front of the children. When the children return
home, they talk to their mother of any problems that
occurred during the weekend.
3
The father claims to be a Christian but his responses
indicate that he may not be a Christian, so he is treated
as an unbeliever (Matt 18:17).
4
This case study focuses on how one book was used in
a counseling session. It does not include a full description
of the counseling session, so parents or leaders
should not rely solely on this book but can modify it
to suit their situation.
5
Sally Michael, God’s Names (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R,
2011).
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