David pulled on his new shirt and, with a big grin on his face, ran down the stairs to breakfast.

“Say, you’re speedy this morning,” his mother smiled as she buttered the toast. “Breakfast isn’t even quite ready and here you are, all bright and shining.”

“Today’s the day, Mom!” David reminded her, “I’ve been waiting and waiting, and at last it’s here.”

“That’s right,” his mother agreed. “I know how much you’ve looked forward to this, and I hope it turns out to be a super-special day for you.”

David’s big sister Jessica came into the kitchen just in time to hear the last of what her mother said. “What’s so special about today?” she asked. “Must be something important to get David down here before me!”

“Today David starts his time at school as Student of the Week,” her mother reminded her. “Remember, Mrs. Elgin sent home a calendar at the first of the school year assigning each child a special week. And David’s turn is finally here!”

Jessica grinned. “That’s funny,” she said. “I was just reading in my Bible about another David who had to wait a long time for something important. It’s our Sunday school lesson for next week.”

“Tell me about him,” David said, looking up from the plate of scrambled eggs his mother had placed in front of him.

“Well,” Jessica started, “our lesson is about David who killed the giant, Goliath, remember?”

David nodded. “Sure. That’s one of my favorite stories.”

“Even before that happened, David knew that someday he would be king,” Jessica went on. “God’s prophet, Samuel, had come to his father’s house one day. God told Samuel to choose David from all his brothers, and anoint him to be the next king of Israel.”

“How come he didn’t just make him king right then?” David asked.

Jessica looked a little puzzled. “I’m not sure … Mom, what do you think?”

“Well, I believe it was because God knew the best time for David to become king. Perhaps there were more lessons David needed to learn about trusting God and looking to Him for help. David had to wait and be patient for a while.”

Jessica nodded. “Anyway, David did wait, and one day God’s promise to him came true.”

David finished his breakfast. “And this David had to wait too, but today’s the day! I wonder if that other David was as excited as I am when his big day finally came.”

Talk with your child about what a promise is, and the importance of keeping one’s promise. Encourage him to make a promise to someone this week—perhaps a job he will do for someone or something of this nature. Help him write it down, and post it where it can serve as a reminder.

When the promise is fulfilled, let him place a smiley face sticker on the written promise, and reward him with a small prize or a special treat of some kind.

FAMILY DEVOTIONS

Verses to help your child understand this Bible lesson.