|
|
|
|
|
Kids Bible Blog : Page P360
A Kept Promise
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 9:1-12
TO CHEW ON: “'Don’t be afraid,' David said to him, 'for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.'” 2 Samuel 9:7
One day after David had been king for some years, he remembered a promise he had made. Years earlier he had promised his friend Jonathan that he would save and protect his family. Now he wanted to keep that promise – but how?
He asked around and discovered that Ziba, a former servant of Saul, was still alive. David called Ziba to the palace. “Do you know if any of Saul’s family is still alive?” David asked.
“There is Mephibosheth,” Ziba replied. “He is the son of Jonathan and is crippled in both feet.”
Immediately David called Mephibosheth to the palace.
Mephibosheth was frightened when he heard King David wanted to see him. It was the custom in those times that a new king would kill the whole family and all the servants loyal to the old king. In fact it was the day that Saul’s family ran from the palace after...
Read More about A Kept Promise »
A Keepsake Meal
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 22: 14-20
TO CHEW ON: “...do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19
Do you have a collection of special keepsakes? Suppose in your collection you have a teacup from your grandma, a baseball hat from when you were little, and a trophy.
Those keepsakes wouldn’t be special to someone else, but they are to you. Why? Because each one is a picture or symbol of someone or something important to you. The teacup might remind you of grandma and the interesting stories she told. The baseball hat could remind you of the friend you played with when you wore it. The trophy reminds you of your team and how hard you worked to win the tournament.
Jesus, during his last meal with His disciples, gave them just such a way to remember Him. He took a piece of bread, said grace over it, tore it apart, and handed the broken pieces to them. He told them to eat it and when they did, to remember Him and how His body would be nailed and pierced (broken) for them.
"The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci - 1498
Then he took a cup of wine. Again he asked a blessing on it, handed...
Read More about A Keepsake Meal »
Tags: storytelling Luke Jesus Holy Spirit God’s plan Christ’s passion
A Job Well Done
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 40: 1-16, 34, 35
TO CHEW ON: "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." Exodus 40:34,35
After Moses had cleaned up the golden calf, God rewrote the smashed tablets of stone. Then Moses asked the people to collect things for building the tabernacle. People brought gold jewelry, beautiful cloth, colorful thread, dyed animal hides, gem stones, spices, incense and oil. Soon there was enough.
Israelites bring treasures for the Tabernacle - Artist unknown
Next God told Moses which talented artists and builders to put in charge of building the tabernacle. They organized and taught volunteers who made all the parts of the tabernacle and its furniture and tools.
Finally the tent church and all its furniture was built. On the first day of the first month God told Moses to put up the tabernacle. He also told him exactly where to put each piece of furniture along with each utensil and tool.
God told Moses to dress Aaron and his sons in the special priest clothes. As they stood...
Read More about A Job Well Done »
Tags: tabernacle perseverance Moses God’s presence giving generosity Exodus
A House For God
TODAY’S SPECIAL: I Kings 5:1-7
TO CHEW ON: "I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God as the Lord told my father, David, when he said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my name.'” 1 Kings 5:5
When Solomon had been king for four years, he decided it was time to keep the promise he’d made to his dad and build a house for God.
He contacted King Hiram of Tyre to get permission to cut down huge cedar and pine trees. He called up thousands of men to work. Some felled trees.
Others worked in quarries cutting boulders into square building stones. Many moved the wood and stone blocks to Jerusalem. Still others worked in Jerusalem, putting the temple together.
After the gigantic stones were in place, workmen covered the walls with wood. They made floors, so that the temple was three stories high. They made the sanctuary – the room where the ark would sit – extra special, covering all the walls and ceiling with gold. Workmen carved beautiful decorations of fruits and flowers for the temple and made fifteen-foot high angel statues to decorate...
Read More about A House For God »
Tricked!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 29:15-28
Jacob falls in love with - Artist unknown
TO CHEW ON: "When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?'" Genesis 29:25
Jacob eventually found his mother’s relatives in Haran. There he got work with his uncle Laban. He also fell in love with Laban’s beautiful daughter Rachel. Laban told Jacob he could marry Rachel if he worked for him seven years.
Seven years pass quickly. Now it was the wedding day. But after the party was over, Jacob found his uncle had married him to Leah, Rachel’s older sister. (In that time women’s wedding clothes included veils to hide their faces.)
“Why did you deceive me?” Jacob asked his uncle. Now Jacob found out how Esau felt when he was tricked.
Jesus said, “Whatever measure you use will be used towards you and even more than that.” (Mark 4:24 Phillips). As Jacob discovered, the way we treat others becomes the way others treat us....
Read More about Tricked! »
Tags: trickery marriage Jacob Genesis consequences
Alone - but not alone
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 28:10-20
TO CHEW ON: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15
Have you ever run for your life? That’s what Jacob was doing. After he tricked his father into giving him Esau’s blessing, Esau wanted to kill him. Rebekah told Jacob to go to Haran, where she grew up. Jacob set out alone
How do you suppose he felt as he walked away from his family and the only home he had ever known?- Nervous about being attacked by robbers and wild animals?- Worried about losing his way?- Lonely and wishing he had someone to talk to?
When it got dark, he stopped walking. He pitched his tent, unrolled his sleeping bag, blew up his air mattress – NOT! He had no tent, sleeping bag, or air mattress. Instead he lay on the ground, under the stars with a stone for his pillow.
After he fell asleep, he dreamed. What things were in his dream (Genesis 28:12-13)...
Read More about Alone - but not alone »
Tags: storytelling science promises Jacob God’s presence Genesis dreams angels
Deceit and Trickery
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 27:1-41
TO CHEW ON: "But he said, 'Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.'" Genesis 27:35
Isaac was old and knew he would soon die. He asked Esau, his favorite son, to catch some wild game and make his favorite food. Then he would say a blessing over him.
Rebekah heard this. She didn’t want Isaac to bless Esau. Jacob was her favorite son. And hadn’t God said to her at the birth of Jacob and Esau, “The older will serve the younger”?
Here’s what happened next. But one of these things is not true. Which one?
1. Jacob brought Rebekah two young goats and she prepared food for Isaac.2. Rebekah dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and covered his hands and neck to smell and feel like Esau.3. Jacob took Rebekah’s food to Isaac and Isaac ate it.4. Isaac blessed Jacob after he smelled his clothes and felt his skin to make sure it was Esau.5. Esau brought prepared food to his father.6. Isaac told Esau he had already eaten and spoken a blessing – on someone else!7. Esau didn’t care that Jacob had stolen his blessing.8. Esau vowed to kill Jacob as soon as their father died.
By tricking Isaac in...
Read More about Deceit and Trickery »
Tags: trickery Rebekah puzzle Jacob Isaac Genesis faith Esau
Now - or Later?
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 25:19-34
TO CHEW ON: "Jacob replied, 'First sell me your birthright.''Look, I am about to die,' Esau said. 'What good is the birthright to me?'" Genesis 25:31-32
Though Jacob and Esau (sons of Isaac and Rebekah) were twins, they were far from identical. What things do we know about them that show how different they were? (Genesis 25:27-28)
Esau1.2.3.
Jacob1.2.3.
One day when Esau came back from hunting, Jacob was making stew. When hungry Esau asked Jacob for some stew to eat, Jacob used his cleverness to get Esau to promise him the birthright in exchange for a pot of stew.
A birthright was a big deal. It was what the oldest son in a family inherited. As firstborn of the twins and the oldest son, Esau’s inheritance was twice as big as Jacob’s. The birthright also brought with it the job of being the family leader next to Isaac.
But in one reckless moment, Esau said, “What good is a birthright to me if I die by hunger anyway?” Then he promised Jacob his birthright if he would give him a bowl of stew. Later he regretted this decision with all his heart.
PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to make decisions based on wisdom,...
Read More about Now - or Later? »
Tags: wisdom Rebekah patience Jacob Isaac impatience Genesis Esau choices
God, I need help!
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 24:12-20, 57-61
TO CHEW ON: "Then he prayed, 'O Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.'" Genesis 24:12
Abraham sent his servant on an errand. He was to find a wife for Isaac among Abraham’s relatives far away. This was a hard job. As the servant traveled he wondered how would he ever find Abraham’s family, let alone know which was the right girl.
When he got to the faraway land, he still didn’t know what to do. He found a well and sat there to rest. As he rested he prayed, "God please help me find the right girl. May it be the girl that when I ask her for a drink, she'll offer to water my camels too. If that happens, I'll take it as a sign that she's the right girl."
Before he finished praying beautiful Rebekah came to the well.
Unscramble the words to find out what the servant said and how the girl answered him (Genesis 24:17-19)
Could this be the right girl?
It turned out Rebekah was also one of Abraham’s relatives. When the servant explained his errand to Rebekah’s family they asked her, “Will you go?” and...
Read More about God, I need help! »
A Heavenly Sight
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 4:1-11
TO CHEW ON: "Day and night they never stop saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'” Revelation 4:8
Have you ever seen an angel? Have you seen Jesus? God? Heaven? Most of us haven’t. But God gave John a peek inside heaven. As we read his description, we get the feeling heaven is so incredibly magnificent, John had a hard time finding words to describe it.
An Angel comes to Mary - Artist unknown
Look in Revelation 4:1-11 and then list:
1. Some of the sounds John heard:2. Some of the sights he saw:3. Some of the characters he watched:
But no matter how amazing everything else was, God was the center of heaven’s attention.4. Where was God and what did he look like?5. How did those who lived in heaven worship Him?...
Read More about A Heavenly Sight »
Tags: worship visions Revelation John heaven God’s presence God’s holiness
The Big Test
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 22:1-19
TO CHEW ON: “...and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 22:18
Imagine Abraham’s horror the day God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Perhaps he had some of these questions and thoughts:
- Did I hear God right?- Why would God make me wait all these years to have a son, only to ask me to kill him?- Didn’t God forbid human sacrifice?- God can do anything. Maybe He is planning to raise Isaac from the dead.
Whatever Abraham was thinking, he didn’t argue with God. Instead, he took Isaac, the stuff they needed for the sacrifice and they went to the place God told him.
Using Genesis 22:9-12 as a guide, put the rest of the story in order.
An angel stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac - Artist unknown
Abraham’s faith was tested to see what he believed in. God was testing him to see whether he believed in what his mind told him God would do, or whether he believed in God, even though he didn’t understand. Abraham’s actions showed he believed in God. He passed the test!...
Read More about The Big Test »
Tags: sacrifice puzzle obedience Jesus Isaac Genesis faith angel Abraham
A Clay Jar
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 4:6-12
TO CHEW ON: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7
Perfume in a plastic spray bottle or crystal glass?
Which would you choose?- a book with a torn paper cover or one with a mint-condition hard cover?- chocolates in a plastic bag or packed in a fancy box?- perfume in a plastic spray bottle or a crystal glass bottle?- a gift wrapped in newspaper or one wrapped in tissue and a bag?
No one would be surprised if you chose the second thing in every case. Even in small things, we tend to look at containers and choose the prettiest and richest-looking.
In Paul’s time, clay jars were the plain everyday jars people used in their kitchens. There was nothing special to make people choose them. But they were important in the kitchen because of the water, juice or milk inside them....
Read More about A Clay Jar »
A Can-do Attitude
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Numbers 13:26-33
TO CHEW ON: "Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.' But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.'” Numbers 13:30,31
The Israelites had been traveling through the desert for a long time. Now they were near the land God had promised them. To prepare for going in and settling there, Moses sent twelve spies to explore their new home. For forty days these men went from place to place in Canaan, secretly checking out the country.
When they got back, they told of the amazing orchards and farms. They brought back grapes, dates and pomegranates to prove how rich the land was. But they also told of huge walled cities and people who looked as big and strong as giants.
Ten of the spies didn’t think they would ever be able to live there. “The cities are too protected,” they said, “and the people are too tall.”
But two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, didn’t agree. “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we certainly...
Read More about A Can-do Attitude »
Tags: trust storytelling promises Numbers Moses God’s plan God’s help fear faith
Promises, promises
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 21:1-7
TO CHEW ON: "Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him." Genesis 21:2
I’ll play with you after school today.Never tell a soul– promise?Wait till summer; then I’ll take you fishing.We’ll go to Disneyland next year - it’s a promise!
Our lives are full of promises. Do we keep all the promises we make? Do others keep their promises to us? Probably not.
But there is Someone Who does keep every promise He makes. God promised Abraham and Sarah they would have a son. In fact He said it over and over. Now at last, when Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90 years old, the baby was born.
1. What did Sarah do? (Genesis 21:6)2. Abraham and Sarah named the baby Isaac. What does the name "Isaac" mean?
God kept His promise. What a happy time!
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the joy of kept promises. Amen.
MORE: God's promises to you
The Bible is full of God's promises to you. Read the following promises and solve the crossword puzzle below.
1. Eternal life: (John 11:25) "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will...
Read More about Promises, promises »
God as Judge
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read: Genesis 19:12-29
TO CHEW ON: "The two men said to Lot, 'Do you have anyone else here...? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.'” Genesis 19:12,13
When the two angels got to Sodom they met Lot at the city gate. He invited them to stay at his home for the night. But even there the visitors didn’t escape the violence of the city.
Soon a crowd of men was banging on Lot’s door. They wanted to abuse the two angels - who they thought were ordinary men. When Lot went out to calm them, they threatened him. They were about to break down his door when the angels pulled him into the house and made the men go blind.
“Do you have anyone else here that belongs to you?” the angels asked Lot. He talked to the young men who were engaged to his daughters. But when he told them God would destroy the city, they thought he was joking.
Before dawn the next morning, the angels pulled Lot and his family out of bed. “Hurry! Get...
Read More about God as Judge »
A Book Like No Other
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 19:1-14
TO CHEW ON: "By them your servant is warned and in keeping them there is great reward." Psalm 19:11
What is your favorite book? Why do you like it?
If we could have asked David what his favorite book was, I’m sure he would have said, “God’s Word” – even though books in those days were rolled up strips of parchment or animal skin called scrolls, and even though God’s Word wasn’t the Bible we now have.
When David lived, God’s Word was made up mainly of the writings of Moses. They are our books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
1. David called God’s Word by many different names. What names does he call it in Psalm 19?
2. What words does David use in Psalm 19 to describe and praise God’s Word?
After David tried to bring the ark to Jerusalem and Uzzah was killed, he could go back to God’s Word. There he could read how the ark was supposed to be carried. If he took God’s warnings seriously, he could grow wise and avoid making the same mistake again....
Read More about A Book Like No Other »
Tags: wisdom Psalms obedience God’s word David
A Big Dream
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 2:1-10
TO CHEW ON: "The king said to me, 'What is it you want?' Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, 'If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.' ... And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my request." Nehemiah 2:4&8
“Jerusalem is a mess,” Hanani said. “Its walls are broken down and the gates are just charred rubbish.”
Nehemiah was shocked and sad to hear this news from his brother Hanani. Though Nehemiah had lived in Persia all his life, his heart was with his people in Jerusalem. He wished there was something he could do.
He thought of going to Jerusalem and getting to work on that wall. But that could never happen because King Artaxerxes had said that Jerusalem should not be rebuilt. And Artaxerxes was his boss. He would never let him leave his job for such a reason.
Yet over the next four months, Nehemiah couldn’t forget his dream of returning to Jerusalem. Every day he imagined...
Read More about A Big Dream »
Tags: promises prayer Nehemiah memory verse Judah God’s help
A Bible Journal
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 23:1-6
TO CHEW ON: "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6
Do you keep a journal or diary? Have you ever read someone else’s, like The Diary of Anne Frank? You can tell a lot of things about someone by reading their journal. You can tell whether they’re mainly a happy or sad person. You can tell how they feel about others like family members and friends. And you can tell the things that make them scared, excited, discouraged or hopeful.
David, the boy Saul anointed king, kept a kind of journal. We still have it today. His journal was made up of poetry or songs called psalms. Many of David’s writings are found in our Bible book of Psalms (though not all the psalms in it are written by David). Since we know that David was someone who pleased God, it’s a great thing to have these personal writings of his.
Like most journal writers, David wrote about everyday things familiar to him. He was a shepherd and knew about sheep and looking after them. In Psalm 23 he wrote...
Read More about A Bible Journal »
Ask and Ask Again
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read: Genesis 18:20-33
TO CHEW ON: "Abraham said, 'Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?'He said, 'For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.'Then he said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?'He answered, 'For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.'” Genesis 18:31,32
One day three men came to visit Abraham. He welcomed them, washed their dusty feet and fed them a hot dinner. As they talked, Abraham realized that these visitors weren’t ordinary men. Two of them were angels and one was God Himself, in human form.
After their visit, as Abraham walked down the road with them God turned to him and said, “I’m going to tell you what I’m planning to do.” Then He explained how He had heard that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were sinful and violent. He said if the angels found that to be true, He would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
Immediately Abraham thought of Lot. He had moved near Sodom. So Abraham begged God to spare the city if there...
Read More about Ask and Ask Again »
Tags: theophany prayer perseverance Genesis faith angels Abraham
More than a Promise
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Read: Genesis 17:1-10
TO CHEW ON: "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations." Genesis 17:4
Twenty four years after God said to Abram “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you,” Abram still didn’t have even one son, let alone a nation of sons. By the time he was 99 years old, can we blame him for thinking God had forgotten His promise?
Abram listening to God - Artist unknown
But now God came to Abram again and told him, “I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.... You will be the father of many nations.”
God gave Abram more than a promise. He called it a covenant. It is the strongest promise anyone can make.
Circle the things a covenant IS (look it up in the dictionary if you need to)....
Read More about More than a Promise »
Can’t Wait
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read: Genesis 16:1-9
Abram looking at the stars - Artist unknown
TO CHEW ON: “'Your slave is in your hands,' Abram said. 'Do with her whatever you think best.'” Genesis 16:6
What promises had God given Abram?
Genesis 12:2
Genesis 15:5
If Abram was to be a nation and have as many children as there are stars, he would first need at least one child. But year followed year and still Abram and Sarai had no children. They were old when they first moved. Now they were very old.
We can’t wait any longer. God needs help with this, thought Sarai. So she gave her servant Hagar to Abram to have a baby for her. Though this was a legal thing to do at that time and place, it was not God’s way.
Hagar got pregnant. But now she scorned Sarai. Sarai blamed Abram. Abram told Sarai to do as she liked with Hagar. So Sarai sent Hagar away into the desert.
An angel comforted Hagar. He told her she would have a son, Ishmael, but he wouldn’t get along with his brothers. And the angel told Hagar to go back to Abram and Sarai.
What the angel said to Hagar about Ishmael came true. Ishmael became the...
Read More about Can’t Wait »
Tags: Sarah promises impatience Genesis consequences Abraham
First Choice
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Genesis 13:1-17
Abram and Lot - Artist unknown
TO CHEW ON: "So Abram said to Lot, 'Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me.... Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.'” Genesis 13: 8,9
Abram did take one member of his family along – his nephew Lot. Lot also had flocks and servants. Soon their servants were fighting over the same pastures. Abram didn’t want fighting. He had a meeting with Lot. “I think it’s time for our families to part,” he said.
Abram was the leader and the respected older person on this trip. He could have told Lot to graze his cattle on the scrubby hills while he (Abram) took his cattle to the green valley. Instead Abram let Lot have first choice about where he’d go.
What an easy decision for Lot. Of course he picked the lush green valley for himself. Besides being the best pasture land, it was near the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah where his wife could shop and he could get supplies.
If Abram was sorry about his decision to let Lot pick first, it wasn’t...
Read More about First Choice »
Tags: selfishness memory verse giving Genesis generosity Abraham
Faith Adventure
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Genesis 12:1-7
Abraham journeying into the Land of Canaan by Gustave Dore
TO CHEW ON: "The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you....” So Abram went as the Lord told him." Genesis 12:1,4
People move from one home to another for many reasons. Sometimes they move to find work. Sometimes they move to be close to family. Sometimes they move to experience life in a different city. And sometimes they move just because God tells them to.
One day God talked to a man named Abram. (He was a man who was alive at about the same time as Job.) God told Abram to move – and he did, just because God said so.
He had to have a big faith in God to leave the country he lived in, the city he knew, and even his family. He was 75 when God asked him to do this. That's older than your grandparents! To make it even harder, God didn’t give him a map or a moving truck. He just told Abram and his wife Sarai to pack their stuff and go wherever He would show them.
Abram...
Read More about Faith Adventure »
Tags: storytelling prophecy promises obedience Genesis courage Abraham
Questions Answered?
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Job 42:1-16
TO CHEW ON: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.... Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Job 42:2,3
After Job and his friends had spoken, God talked. He asked Job questions.- “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4 Simplified Living Bible)- “Have you found the springs from which the seas come?” (38:16 SLB)- “Do you know where the gates of death are”? (38:18 SLB)- “Where does the light come from and how do you get there?” (38:19 SLB)- “Who gave the heart wisdom? Who gave knowledge to the mind?” (38:36 SLB)
...and on and on.
Do you know the answers to these questions? What would you have said if you were Job?
Actually, Job didn’t have much to say. “I am nothing,” he said. “How could I ever find the answers?” (Job 40:4 SLB).
By questioning Job this way God wasn’t asking him questions because He didn’t know these things. He was showing Job (and us) that as the creator of the world, He sees the big picture of beginnings and endings. He understands more than we...
Read More about Questions Answered? »
Tags: trust true/false Job God’s omniscience
Why? Why?? Why???
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Job 2:1-13
Job and his friends - Artist unknown
TO CHEW ON: "When Job’s three friends Eliphaz... Bildad... and Zophar... heard about all the troubles that had come upon him they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him." Job 2:11
At the next heavenly council meeting, Satan suggested that God should take His protection away from Job’s body. If he got sick, Satan was sure Job would curse God.
God gave permission. Soon Job was so ill his friends who came to comfort him hardly recognized him.
Job’s friends thought it was his fault he was sick. When Job insisted he hadn’t done anything wrong, they argued, “God always punishes sin. This sickness is your punishment for something bad you did. Confess your sin and you’ll get better.”
Finally a young friend, Elihu, spoke. He said maybe Job’s sickness wasn’t because of something bad he did. Maybe God was just trying to teach Job a lesson....
Read More about Why? Why?? Why??? »
Tags: trust problems Job friendship faith discussion
Job’s very bad, terrible, no good day
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Job 1:6-22
TO CHEW ON: "At this Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: '. . . The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.'” Job 1:20,21
Sometime after the flood, a man named job and his family lived in the land of Uz. Job was a happy man. He had a wife and a large, healthy family. He was also rich with donkeys, sheep, oxen, camels, and servants. Then one day his good life fell apart. Match Job’s possessions with what happened to them: (Job 1:13-18)
What a horrible day for Job! One after the other, his servants came to him with news of robbers, fire, wind, calamity and death....
Read More about Job’s very bad, terrible, no good day »
Human Towers
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Genesis 11:1-9
TO CHEW ON: "Then they said, 'Come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'” Genesis 11:4
God was displeased with the people’s plan to build a tower. It wasn’t so much the building which displeased Him, but the attitude it showed. This tower plan showed pride. It was as if these people were saying, “Making this tower will prove we humans can do anything we are determined to do.”
God stopped the project. Which method did He use?1. Sent an earthquake2. Sent a plague of sickness3. Confused the languages so people could no longer understand each other.4. Caused the workers to go on strike.
In this way God reminded people of their human limits. We humans may be creative and ambitious and energetic and determined. But this story reminds us that God is greater than any human scheme or idea. If something is against His plan, He can shut it down in an instant.
PRAYER: Dear God, I want to honor and serve You with my life—not human pride and ambition. Amen
SECOND...
Read More about Human Towers »
Tags: science research project pride people Genesis discussion
Everyday Life
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Genesis 8:15-22
Noah and his family leave the ark - Artist unknown
TO CHEW ON: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." (Genesis 8:22)
The flood was over. At last the animals and people could leave the ark!
Here they came, tumbling out of the doorway, taking deep breaths of fresh air, skipping, jumping, running, then galloping. They loved the feel of the sun on their backs and the breeze on legs and faces.
Best of all, God had told them there would be no more floods. Now life could get back to normal.
Though we’ll never have to go through a worldwide flood like Noah and his family did, we also live through things which disturb our everyday routine. These can be as frightening as having our house burn down or as fun as going on a vacation. But whether good or bad, there comes a time when we’re ready to get back to ordinary everyday life
Before you complain that that’s too boring, think of all the variety God has built into the repeats of nature. Match the opposites of everyday living on the lists below:...
Read More about Everyday Life »
Tags: seasons science research promises Noah Genesis covenant
Water Water Everywhere
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Genesis 7:24-8:12
Noah welcoming the bird back to the ark - Artist unknown
TO CHEW ON: "But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded." (Genesis 8:1)
Have you ever been stuck in the house for a week because of a snow-storm? You were probably kept at home for weeks to months during the Covid-19 pandemic. Or perhaps you’ve been forced to leave home and stay in a school gym or church basement for a long time because your house was in the way of a forest fire, flood, or tornado. Whatever the reason, it’s hard to stay cooped up in a small space for a long time, isn’t it?...
Read More about Water Water Everywhere »
Noah Faith
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read: Genesis 6:14-22
This Noah's Ark mural was once in the children's entrance of my church.
TO CHEW ON: "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." (Genesis 6:22)
Imagine this: you and your family are the only people who love God on the whole earth!
People talk about you. They say things like “Have you heard about that Noah family? They’re no fun. All they care about is pleasing God!”
Then one day God tells you to build a big boat (the Bible calls it an ark). Then people talk even more: “Get a load of this. That crazy Noah is building a boat – a BIG boat. And there’s not even any water nearby.”...
Read More about Noah Faith »
Kid's Bible Maps
Bible History Online
The Geography of the Bible
© Bible History Online (https://bible-history.com)
Made by Network Local
Kids Bible Maps
About
Us
Contact Us
To
Parents
To
Teachers
Kids Bible Blog
Using Our Maps
Mission
Statement
Doctrinal
Statement
Instructions
Popular Bible Maps
The Journey of Abraham
Moses and the Exodus
Joshua and the Land
The Kingdom of David
The Kingdom of Solomon
Israel in Jesus' Time
Paul's First Journey
The Land of Israel
The Land of Egypt
The Land of Assyria
The Land of Babylon
The Land of Persia
The Land of Greece
The City of Rome
Noah's Ark and Mt. Ararat
The Tower of Babel
The Old Testament World
The New Testament World
Ancient Empires
Moses and the 10 Plagues
Ancient Peoples
The 10 Commandments
The 12 Tribes of Israel
The Ministry of Jesus
Bible Stories with Maps
Daniel in the Lions Den
David and Goliath
Baby Moses
Jesus and the Little Children
Coloring Book Images
Coloring Book
Donkey
Camel
Lamb
Noah's Ark
Noah's 3 Sons
Abraham
Sheep
Lion