A Sunday school teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible, Psalm's 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse.
Little Rick was excited about the task - but he just couldn't remember the whole verse. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.
Then came the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm's 23 in front of the congregation. When it was his turn, Rick stepped up to the microphone and said proudly;
"The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."
The congregation all laughed and clapped for little Rick. He took a bow and went to sit down. Susie stood up and said; "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want." Just then little Rick stood up and said; "Hey, wait a minute why shouldn't I want, doesn't God want me to have everything that I want?"
He was very serious so the congregation grew silent and waited for the Sunday School teacher to answer his question. The teacher stepped up to the microphone and said;
"Yes, little Rick God does want you to have the things that you need and yes, sometimes the things that you want."
Little Rick said; "Now, what else does God have to say from the Bible?"
The teacher motioned Tommy up to recite a sentence from Psalm's 23. Tommy took his place in front of the microphone and cleared his throat so loudly that the speakers screeched loud enough for everyone to hold their ears, but they all had a good laugh about it.
Tommy took a step back and began reciting the rest of Psalm's 23. He said; "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."
He turned to hand the microphone to Ronnie when little Rick took the microphone and said clearly; "Why would God make me lie down in the green grass if I'm not tired and then lead me to the still waters if I am not thirsty."
It seems that little Rick was thirsty for the knowledge from the Bible in Psalm's 23. Ronnie walked up and took the microphone from little Rick and said; "If you will listen to all of it, you might learn something. God just wants you to rest and have a drink of fresh, clear water."
He continued; "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
"See little Rick !" Ronnie began, "He let you rest so that you wouldn't be tired and, then he took you in his path into his arms, for his name is God and he loves you." Little Rick nodded like he understood what Ronnie was saying.
Patty stepped up for her verse. She recited; "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadows of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
Little Rick shuffled his feet for a moment while his eyes filled widely with terror and said out loud; "Man, there ain't no one gonna lead me through the shadows of death, I'm gettin' outa� here!"
Little Rick bumped into Patty knocking her down as he jumped across the alter and ran for his life out of the Church and ran all the way home. The Church congregation didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.
The Sunday School teacher stepped up and said; �If that doesn't scare the devil out of him, I don't know what will." The congregation laughed nervously thinking this little memory game had gone down the tubes.
By then Patty had picked herself up off of the floor and dusted off her pretty little pink dress and proceeded to recite Psalm's 23 word for word without anyone else interrupting.
"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Patty smiled sweetly and bowed. The congregation clapped for her and then Ronnie stepped up and said;
"I don't know about you guys but I was just about to run home with little Rick. Then God says that I have to eat with my enemies and wants to pour oil over my head. I hope to God, that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life after going through all of that. I think that we deserve to live in the house of the Lord for ever after enduring every thing that we have to do."
The Sunday School teacher took the microphone and apologized for not explaining what Psalm's 23 really meant to the children. She said that she was just trying to get them to memorize parts of the Bible. She was laughing and crying at the same time and said,
"I really don't know what convinced me to be a Sunday School teacher but, I have learned one thing and that is to make sure that the children understand where the Bible came from and what it means.
It is made from stories from long ago, and the verses were written by men just as the men in the Church.
I will go to little Rick's house now; I believe that I have some serious explaining to do."
The Congregation all laughed and clapped for the Teacher and
the children that participated in memorizing Psalm's 23.
The Preacher closed the Service with a chuckle and congratulated the children for doing so well. He smiled at the
children and said, "Out of the mouth of babes," with that the
Service was over and everyone left with a smile on their face.
Written by: Tamara Lesley
