I talked with several individuals the last couple days about Sally Lloyd Jones’ book and thought they and others might be well-served if I simply shared a chapter with you from her book.  The chapters are short and I’ll simply retype them verbatim.  One negative is that you don’t get to see the colorful picturesthat go along with each story (and yes, I like the pictures) that help the little kids (and big ones too) see the story come  “alive,” so to speak.  

This is Jones’ version of David and Goliath, from 1 Samuel 17 – “The young hero and the horrible giant.”

“God’s people had some scary enemies, but the Philistines were the scariest of them all.  And now the Philistines had come to fight them.  The Philistines had a secret weapon, called Goliath.  Goliat was a terrifying soldier, and – worst of all- a GIANT!  A giant so strong, and so tall, and so scary that no one had ever been able to fight him – and live to tell the tale.  So there they were: the Philistines standing on the top of one hill; God’s people standing on top of the other.  Every day, Goliath came out and shouted, Send your best soldier to fight me!  But if I win, you will be our slaves!  No one spoke. No one moved.

Chickens! Goliath bellowed.  Your God can save you! I’ll rip your heads off and have you on toast!  His beady, greedy eyes glowered at them hungrily from under his horrible helmet – as if any minute he really might just gobble them all up.  And he laughed his terrible laugh.  Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha it boomed, echoing horribly around and around the dry, dry valley.  Well, Goliath might just as well been a green, slimy monster with three heads because God’s peopel froze with fear.  Their eyes glazed over, and they truned deathly pale.  They knew if someone didn’t do something quic, if someone didn’t save them – But God would do something.  He would send someone to save them.  Now David was the youngest son of Jesse, and his brothers were soldiers in teh army.  One day, when David brought his brothers their lunches, he saw Goliath – and he saw how scared everyone was.  Don’t be afriad!  David said.  I’ll fight him for you.  You’re only a little shepherd by, the king said, and Goliath is a great soldier.  How will you fight him?  God will help me David said.  So the king gave Daivd his royal armor to wear, but it was too heavy and too big and David couldn’t even wakl.  I won’t need this, David said.  Instead, David picked out five smooth stones from the stream – one, two, three, four, five – took his slingshot and walked towards Goliath.  Step. Step. Step.  Goliat walked towards David.  Thud. Thud. Thud. You? Goliath peered down at the small boy. I’m little! David shouted up to him. But God is great!  Goliath laughed an even terribler laugh than usual.  HAAA-HAAA-HAAA! it went.  With just one swing of his giant sword Goliath could finish the boy off.  But David kept going, It isn’t how strong you are or how many swords and spears you have that will save you – it is God who saves you!  This is God’s battle.  And God always wins his battle!  David put a stone in his sling, swung it aruond – and let it go.  The little stone flew WHIZZ like a bullet through the air and struck Goliath THUD right between  the eyes.  Goliath stopped laughing…

He stumbled…and staggered…and CRASH! fell dead.  When the Philistines saw Goliath was dead, they ran away.  And when God’s people saw them running away, they cheered.  God had saved his people.  David was a hero!  Many years later, God would send his people another young Hero to fight for them.  And to save them. But this Hero wuold fight the greatest battle the world has ever known.”