Ruth Graham - Step Into the Bible: 100 Bible Stories for Family Devotions

In loving memory of my mother, who taught me the Scriptures with
First Steps for Little Feet Along Gospel Paths by Charles Foster.

May the little people in your life learn about the
Bible in this revised and updated edition of Fosters original book.

R.G.

Todd Bauders/Contrast Photography

Step into the Bible is based on the book First Steps for Little Feet Along Gospel Paths by Charles Foster. First published in the 1800s, this book taught the Bible to four generations of Graham children. It has stood the test of time with updates and re-releases over the past 150-plus years.

Many years ago, when my grandparents were medical missionaries to China, they chose First Steps for Little Feet Along Gospel Paths to teach their children biblical truths. They saw that this book built precept upon precept in teaching children the great principles and facts of the Christian faith.

In turn, my mother used this book in our preschool and elementary training. She not only read it to us and quizzed us with questions following each story, she also taught us this was a book to be loved. It gave us an early appreciation for the Bible and told us of the historical examples to follow as we grew up.

It was a memorable day when I received my own copy of First Steps for Little Feet Along Gospel Paths. I cherished the little book. I could not read yet, but I remember gently leafing through the book, looking at the pictures and anticipating the day when I could read it myself.

When my own children were ready for family prayer time, we proceeded with gusto. I went to the store and bought all the new Bible storybooks, books on how to have exciting family devotions, and idea books. For the first few days, things went fairly well, but eventually the plan fizzled.

Finally, I remembered First Steps for Little Feet Along Gospel Paths on my bookshelf. My children had been delighted to see my name scrawled in pencil in the front. They were excited about a book their Mommy read when she was little and even their Tai Tai (what they called my Mother; pronounced Teddy, meaning old lady in Chinese) read when she was a little girl in China.

My children enjoyed the short stories. The family devotion time took us a total of about ten minutes. My three-and-a-half-year-old daughter thought it was great and did very well. And even though my two-year-old son didnt answer the questions, he was learning from his sister.

As we progressed through the book, it became increasingly clear that the book needed updating. The language of the 1800s sounded strange to us. The concept of the book was still excellentit was a classic. So I began to edit words and phrases as I went along.

On a visit home to my parents home in North Carolina one Easter in the late 1970s, I told my mother that the book needed to be rewritten and suggested that she do it. But she turned around and said that she thought I should do it. As I continued to edit, rewrite, and add some original material, I became aware of the value of this book as a tool in teaching children. Mr. Fosters concept of building upon a foundation, precept upon precept, was strong. And when I double-checked a fact in Scripture, I was impressed with the accuracy of the book. It was an exciting project for me.

Thus came the publication of the 1980 edition, called First Steps in the Bible.

Over 25 years after the 1980 edition released, I once again revised stories, added new ones, and removed weak stories. You have the newest edition of the classic book in your hands: Step into the Bible. The title represents the interactive features that encourage families to develop their faith during devotional time.

As you go through this book with your children, you will notice that it is far from being a surface Bible storybook. Through Bible stories, I introduce the basic doctrines, obedience to God, original sin, Christs atoning death, and eternal life. Children understand these principles and readily accept them. It is easy for adults to make things too complicated. Children want to believe and have such open hearts toward God.

Over 300 full-color illustrations and photographs will capture your childrens imaginations. Also, throughout the book there are Parent Notes to help you guide your children into an understanding of the principles set forth.

Every story has an appropriate Memory Verse. I feel it is important for children to begin memorizing verses early to become a lifelong habit. Questions follow each story, which help both children and adults learn about themselves, their faith, and God.

When I was growing up, we had family prayers right after breakfast. I found that a good time for my children was right after dinner. Things didnt seem quite so rushed, and we were all together and refreshed by a good meal. It is important to keep things shortonly ten to fifteen minutes. Try to be regular and consistent.

Read a story, ask the questions, and then have a short prayer. If you have very young children, the questions might be a bit difficult and you may want to rephrase them so that the answer is in the question.

When it comes to the prayer time, on some occasions my children liked to have short sentence prayers so that each in turn could pray out loud. Remember to teach your children to praise and thank the Lord first. Always be specific in your requests as well as in your praise. Perhaps you could begin a family prayer list which would include friends, teachers, schoolwork, pastor, missionaries, world leaders, and others. When you see answers, be sure to point them out to your children and talk about how good God is to answer our prayers.

Expect to have squirming and wiggling and a few interruptions when you are reading to little ones. It is surprising how much they absorb even while squirming. Dont make it a pressured competitive situation. If a child cannot answer a question or has not listened very well, dont worry. They will probably get it the next time around. With 100 stories, you have many opportunities!

I loved reading to my children! It was a wonderful way to spend concentrated time with them. Now I love reading to my grandchildren.

Reading can also spark marvelous conversations with your children. Learn to listen to them. Try to make your reading exciting by voice inflection. (My mother had such a wonderful Scottish brogue and my grandmother could imitate all the Southern accents.) Use this book as a catalyst for family time; gather together for a time of fun and spiritual training. You will be surprised what this will lead to in family growth and closeness. God will bless your efforts.