Yes Jesus Loves Me

The words to that little children’s song can take me back to my childhood faster than anything else I know. Of course, there were others such as “Jesus Loves the Little Children”, “The B-I-B-L-E”, and every child’s favorite “This Little Light of Mine”. However, you might ask what makes these songs so special other than their message, which is the most important part?

You see these are all songs that we sang as young children in Sunday school class. While the tunes were so simple, their message can shape a child’s entire life, and instill knowledge of eternal life to come. Once someone said, everything I ever needed to know, I learned in kindergarten. For me though everything I really needed to know, I learned in Sunday school. While I am grateful for a good education, I will eternally be grateful for Godly men and women who took the time on Sunday mornings to teach us about God and His Word.

You see in those simple stories, told with such conviction, we learned about the Bible and all of the heroes of the Faith. We learned the story of creation, and of God walking with Adam in the garden. Then there was Abraham who God chose to be the father of His chosen people. There was the story of Daniel in the lion’s den, and the three Hebrew children thrown into the fiery furnace. All delivered from certain death by a powerful God whom they believed in.

One of my favorites even to this day has always been David. A simple shepherd boy, who with one stone killed the great Goliath and would later become the King of Israel, and through his lineage, the Savior would one day be born. To a child there is no greater example of how anybody can do great things. As I grew older, I also learned from the contrasts in David’s life. How one whom God showed great favor could fail, but God’s love never falters and forgiveness is available if only we will ask.

There were also the New Testament stories of simple men who God used to do great things during the infancy of the Church. We all know of Peter, who always seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble, but who Jesus looked at and said “On this rock I will build my church”, and the rest of the disciples as well, whom at times seemed like misfits, but their ministries would set the world on fire.

Still I remember the stories of the apostles and the infancy of the early Christian church. Men who fostered the church through many trials, standing strong even in the face of tyrants who sought to destroy it. Men that mostly met with violent deaths themselves to make sure we had the opportunity to sit in Sunday school. As Jesus spoke to Peter, the foundations of the Church are strong because of the faith and even the martyrdom of these patriarchs of the Church.

However, no Sunday school story would be complete without the whole reason the Church even exists, the birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection, of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I will always remember Sunday school teachers who made the story of Jesus Christ become so alive that I too wanted to give my heart to him. Because of committed teachers showing us the way, and praying with us, I have no doubt of my eternal salvation, and I really do know that yes Jesus loves me.