Genesis 1

The Explanation

Close your eyes for a moment. Try to imagine nothing. No sky. No grass. No sun. No sound. Not even a whisper. That is how it was in the very beginning. Only God was there. The Bible says: "The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep." Everything was dark water, and above that water God's Spirit was hovering, like a bird flying quietly over a big black sea.

And then God spoke. Just one sentence: "Let there be light." And bam, there was light! Not from a lamp or a candle. Just because God said it. God saw the light and thought: this is good. That was day one.

The next day God made the sky, high above our heads, blue and wide. Day three, God spoke again, and the water rushed together into big seas. Dry land came up, brown and fresh. Then God said: "Let grass grow, and flowers, and trees with apples and pears and cherries!" And the whole earth turned green.

On the fourth day God hung lights in the sky. A big shining sun for the day. A soft silver moon for the night. And stars, so many stars that no one can count them.

Day five was splashing and flapping. God filled the seas with fish, from tiny ones to giant sea creatures. And birds flew up into the sky, singing and chirping.

On the sixth day the ground shook a little. Out came cows and sheep, lions and rabbits, ants and elephants. But God was not finished yet. He said something very special: "Let's make man in our image." And God made the first people, a man and a woman. He blessed them and gave them the whole earth to take care of.

Then God looked at everything He had made. The mountains, the fish, the trees, the people. And He said it was very good.

What Does This Mean?

God made everything by speaking. No hammer, no tools, only His voice. That tells you something huge about God: He is stronger than anything you can think of. When He says a word, worlds appear.

And look at what He made you from. Not from leftover clay. God made people in His own image. That means when God looked at that first man and woman, He saw something of Himself in them. You too. When you laugh, when you make something, when you love someone, you are a little like God.

The Common Thread

Long, long after this, the Bible tells about Jesus. And do you know what it says? Jesus was there too, right at the beginning. Everything was made through Him. Jesus is the true Light that God sent into the dark world. Just like on day one, when God said "Let there be light," Jesus came to bring light to people who were sad and lost. The same voice that made the stars also called your name.

For You

God made this whole world with care, and He put you in it on purpose. So today, try this. Go outside. Look at one thing God made. A leaf, a bug, a cloud. Really look. And whisper, "Thank You, God, You made this."

And here is something else. Because you are made in God's image, so is your little brother, your sister, and the kid next to you at school. Even the annoying one. Try to be kind to someone today who is often left out. That is one small way to take good care of God's world.

Talk About It

If you could have watched one of the six days happen, which day would you pick, and why?

What is something God made that always makes you happy?

Praying Together

Dear God, You made everything with Your voice. The sky, the sea, the animals, and me. Thank You that I am made by You. Help me to see how good Your world is, and to take care of it. Amen.