Children of God Storybook Bible. Archbishop Tutu Desmond

       Genesis 1

      In the very beginning, God’s love bubbled over when there was nothing else – no trees, no birds, no animals, no sky, no sea – only darkness.

      Out of this love, God spoke. ‘Let there be light.’

      And there was day. And there was night. And when the first day was done, God smiled and knew that it was good.

      On the second day, God said, ‘Let there be sky where the clouds can float and the wind can blow.’

      And the sky was bright blue and beautiful.

      On the third day, God said, ‘Let the waters gather together into oceans and let the dry land appear.’ Now God decided to make the world even more dazzling, with tall trees and long grass. And then the first flower opened in all its glory.

      On the fourth day, God said, ‘Let the sky be filled with the sun and the moon.’ And God scattered stars across the sky like sparkling diamonds.

      On the fifth day...

      …God said, ‘Let there be birds to fly and sing, and fish to swim and splash.’ And the world was filled with the joyous sound of birdsong.

      On the sixth day, God said, ‘Let there be animals – elephants and giraffes, cats and mice, and bees and bugs.’ And suddenly the world was a very noisy place.

      But something was still missing. Then God said, ‘I will make people, and I’ll make them like me so they can enjoy the earth and take care of it.’ He did just as he had said, and it was all so very, very good.

      God looked at everything that he had made and clapped his hands together in delight. ‘Isn’t it wonderful!’

      And on the seventh day, God laughed, and rested, and enjoyed his glorious creation.

      Dear God,

       help me to enjoy and care for your beautiful earth.

      God made us to love each other

       Adam and Eve

       Genesis 2

      God breathed the breath of life into the first person and called him Adam.

      He put Adam in a beautiful garden called Eden, where there was every kind of delicious fruit to eat. Adam could play all day long and eat whenever he was hungry.

      But Adam was lonely.

      God said, ‘My child, it is not good to be alone.’

      So God brought all the birds and animals to keep him company, but Adam said, ‘I need a proper friend.’

      ‘Yes, you are quite right,’ God said, and put Adam into a deep sleep. When he awoke, Adam saw that God had made a woman.

      ‘Wow!’ Adam said, his jaw dropping in amazement. He had never seen anything so beautiful and so wonderful.

      Her name was Eve, and she would be the mother of all people.

      Adam and Eve laughed together and loved each other and were happy in the Garden of Eden. God smiled when he saw their joy. He told them to have children so that love and happiness could spread over the whole earth.

      Dear God,

       thank you for giving us each other to love.

      God loves us even when we do wrong

       Leaving the Garden

       Genesis 3

      In the middle of the Garden of Eden grew a very special tree. God said to Adam, ‘You must not eat the fruit from this tree.’

      In the garden lived a serpent who liked to make mischief. The serpent said to Eve, ‘If you eat the fruit from this tree, you will become like God. You will know everything.’

      The fruit looked ripe and juicy, so Eve picked one and tasted it. Then she handed it to Adam, and he ate, too. As they chewed, the fruit began to taste bitter, and their smiles turned to frowns.

      That evening God walked in the garden and called to them, ‘Adam! Eve! Where are you?’ But Adam and Eve were hiding. They were afraid because they had disobeyed God.

      ‘Why are you hiding from me?’ God said. ‘Did you eat from the tree in the middle of the garden?’

      ‘Eve made me do it,’ said Adam.

      ‘The serpent made me do it,’ said Eve.

      God let out a deep, disappointed sigh like the wind in the trees at night. Not only had they disobeyed him, they did not even say they were sorry. God punished the serpent, and Adam and Eve had to leave his glorious garden. From then on they had to work hard in the fields to grow food, but God still loved them and watched over them wherever they went.

      Dear God,

       help me to do what is right and to remember you love me even when I do wrong.

      God begins again

       Noah’s Ark

       Genesis 6-9

      Before long, people started fighting and hurting one another terribly. God wept that they were not enjoying the lovely earth he had made. Finally, he said, ‘I must make a new beginning. I will send a flood to cover the whole earth.’

      But one man named Noah was kind and did what was right.

      God told Noah to build a big boat called an ark. Then God said, ‘Gather all your family and two of every kind of animal, bird, and insect.’ God sent the rain, and Noah led everyone into the ark. For forty days and forty nights it rained so hard that the water covered even the highest mountains.

      Boy, did it smell inside the ark! And the noise! The ROARing and the BAAing, the NEIGHing and the MOOing! But – amazingly – everyone got along. Yes, even the lion lay down with the lamb.

      At last the rain stopped. Noah sent out a dove in search of land. When the bird returned with an olive leaf, Noah and his family cheered. Noah thanked God for saving them.

      God told Noah, ‘I promise not to send another flood to cover the whole earth.’ And God made a beautiful rainbow so people would never forget his promise.

      Dear God,

       thank you for rainbows and for keeping your promise to us.

      God promises a wonderful blessing

       Abraham Trusts God

       Genesis 15, 17

      Abraham was sad because he and his wife, Sarah, had no children. God told him to pack up everything and to go to a whole new land to begin a whole new life. Abraham trusted God, so he and Sarah left their home and family and began a long, hard journey.

      They wandered through deserts, up and down