A young boy was in a church service with his grandfather. Full of curiosity, the boy kept asking, "What does that mean?" Grandpa quietly explained everything that was going on. When the minister began his sermon, he took off his watch and placed it on the podium. The boy whispered, "What does that mean"? Grandpa, who had heard many long sermons that sent the service into overtime, answered, "Not a thing, sonny. Not a thing."

That's a funny story, but there's a serious side to it. The boy's barrage of questions may have irritated some people, but the grandfather knew that children have an inquisitive nature that makes them open to spiritual truth.

According to today's Bible reading, Joshua knew that too. He knew that children of future generations would ask about the pile of stones in the Jordan River. So he told parents to use the opportunity to tell how God had miraculously parted the waters of the Jordan (Josh. 4:6-7).

Since questions can open the door for us to witness about our faith, we should invite them from children or adults. If we are friendly, moral, kind, and peaceful under pressure, people will notice. And some will even ask how we can live this way. Then we will have the opportunity to share with them the life-changing message of the gospel.  — Herbert Vander Lugt