Know God Better: Bible Reading for Familiesಮಾದರಿ

Who is your favorite Bible character?

I've asked and answered this question countless times. I've taught lessons on Bible characters and even dressed up as them for church events. As a kid, I wore a Burger King crown and dressed up like Queen Esther most years for Halloween.

There's nothing wrong with having favorites or calling them “Bible characters.” But I've learned something important:

The people in the Bible weren't just characters in a story—they were real people who met God.

For a long time, when I read the Bible, I'd just look for the lesson to learn. I treated Bible people like they were only there to teach me something.

I forgot they were real humans who breathed, felt things, and had actual conversations with God.

These aren’t just stories for you and me—they were conversations, and hang outs, and healings, as real people meet up with the same God we know.

One day, everything changed for me. I still remember sitting there with my Bible open, reading Luke 7, like I’d read it before. And I wept over what God did for a widow in a city called Nain.

We don't know this woman’s name. We don't know her backstory. But Jesus knew everything about her. He knew her son had died, and He brought him back to life!

I suddenly realized this wasn't just a cool miracle story—this was something amazing that Jesus did for a real person who was hurting.

When you read this story today, try to see it as a real event that really happened, and notice what stands out to you. Maybe it’s things like:

• Jesus had compassion on her—the same compassion He has for you today
• Jesus spoke directly to her pain—"Do not weep"
• Jesus responded to a need she hadn't even told him about—no words were necessary

This wasn't a show Jesus put on for the crowd. Or a story for us to read and learn from later. He was helping a real mom who lost her son.

That day, I cried tears of gratitude for what Jesus did for this widow.
Like she was my friend. Like I knew her in real life and I was moved by God’s compassion for her.

I think that happened because:

1. God helped me see it differently
2. I slowed down enough to remember she was real

When you remember that Bible "characters" were actual people having real-time meet-ups with God, Scripture transforms from a collection of moral lessons into a window to see how God treats people He loves.

God teaches us through their stories. He offers truth that applies to our lives today. And that begins with us noticing more about who He is and what He is like toward us.

The same God who noticed a widow's tears notices yours.

The same Jesus who stopped a funeral wants to step into your circumstances too.

You're also someone God knows completely and loves totally. He wants to be part of your life too.

Kid Connection: Let's Talk About It

"The people in the Bible were real people with feelings just like us. How do you think the mom in Luke 7 felt when Jesus brought her son back to life? How would you have felt if you were there watching it happen?"

If you've ever felt lost in Bible stories or struggled to connect them to your own life, tomorrow will be a game-changer.