Finding my way

November 17, 2009 · Filed under Bible, Guidance, Light, Psalms · Tagged

You are getting your gear together to go on a camping trip. You have your clothes, your sleeping bag… What else will you need? Did you remember a flashlight so you can see to walk around at night? Does your flashlight have fresh batteries?

There were no flashlights in Bible times. Instead they used oil lamps to see at night. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (NIV)

What does this verse mean?” The Bible is often called the Word of God. Do you think you could use a Bible instead of a flashlight to walk around in the dark when you are camping? Of course not. And that isn’t what the Psalm writer meant either.

Sometimes it seems dark, even when the sun is shining. Sometimes we have problems that are so difficult that it feels dark inside us. We wonder which way to go, what to do. Perhaps you have friends who try to get you to do things that are wrong. Someone may be bullying you. Or you may know about someone who is hurting another person, but you don’t know how to get them to stop. These things make us feel dark inside.

Psalm 119:105 tells us that the Bible is our light. That doesn’t mean we will just happen to turn to the right page when we have a problem and the answer will jump out at us. But it does mean that if we will take the time every day to read a little more, we will be prepared for the hard times when they come. Reading the Bible every day is like charging your batteries so your flashlight will shine when it gets dark.

You may be facing dark days already. If you haven’t yet started reading the Bible, get started. Meanwhile, find an older friend who has been reading it a long time to talk to about those dark problems. Maybe their batteries will be charged up enough to light your way for now. They might show you some of the best places in the Bible for you to start reading as well.

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The Jesus Storybook Bible

November 13, 2009 · Filed under Bible, Bible storybooks

0310708257The Jesus Storybook BibleMy copy of the book, The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every story whispers his name, came in the mail today. I read on facebook that it had won an award and I wanted to find out what made it so special. I was not disappointed when I opened the book. It is full of good stories that are easy to read. But the thing that makes this book so special is that it is more than just a book of stories from the Bible. These stories are written to help you see how the stories fit together. It is wonderful to see how even the stories from the Old Testament help us to understand why Jesus came to die for us. When you read these stories you might just feel like you are right there with the people in the story. I do. I’m glad that Sally Lloyd-Jones wrote it. I like the pictures that Jago painted too.

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How can we know?

November 9, 2009 · Filed under Deceivers, End Times, Lying, Mark, Matthew, Warnings · Tagged , ,

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. (Mark 13:5-6 NIV)

Has anyone ever told you a lie and you believed them?  There is a picture book by Evaline Ness called Sam Bangs and Moonshine. In this story a little boy named Thomas believed a lie that an older girl called “Sam” told him. She said he could find her baby kangaroo out on the rocks in the ocean. The little boy ran out on the rocks to find it because he always believed Sam’s lies. Meanwhile a storm came up and the tide came in. Thomas was rescued, but he got very sick and might have drowned if the men hadn’t gotten to him in time.

Sam learned her lesson about telling lies (her dad called lying moonshine). I hope little Thomas learned how to know when someone was lying to him as he grew up.

Today’s Bible verse tells us to be careful to not let anyone deceive us. Sam deceived Thomas with her lies. Has anyone ever tried to deceive you? Perhaps someone wanted you to steal some candy in a store so they told you it was free. Perhaps someone wanted you to try some drugs and they said it would make you feel good. People who tell you things like this are trying to deceive you. They are not your friends.

The biggest deceiver of all is Satan. He doesn’t want you to believe in Jesus. He wants you to make bad choices, so he makes them seem like fun. But his “fun” doesn’t last. Like Thomas on the rocks in the storm, the fun ended suddenly. Remember Satan wants to hurt us.

Satan’s biggest lie is to pretend that he is Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus will come again and make everything good. He will put an end to Satan forever. Satan knows this is going to happen. So he keeps looking for ways to spread lies. His worst trick is to make a bad person look like he is Jesus’ friend, so the bad person can pretend to lead you to Jesus. But this person isn’t really Jesus’ friend and he will do everything he can to keep you from knowing Jesus.

How can you know if you are being lied to about Jesus? How can you know if you are learning the good things God wants you to know? The answers are in the Bible. It is important to start learning what the Bible really says while you are young. Then you will know if someone is teaching you true things about Jesus.

Here are two good things to remember about when Jesus will come again:

The Bible (see Matt 24:36) tells us that nobody knows the day or the hour that Jesus is coming. So if anyone tells you what day Jesus is going to come, you can know that they are wrong. Jesus said not even the angels know when Jesus will return. Only God knows.

The Bible says that when Jesus comes everyone will know it at once. Nobody will have to say to you, “Here he is.” It will happen very fast like lightening across the sky. So if someone tells you Jesus has come, don’t believe it. You would have found out at the same time. (To learn more, read Matthew 24.)

Father God, keep us close to your heart. Help us to learn from your Bible. Guide us to the parts we can understand best, and help us to keep learning new things. Help us to know when deceivers are trying to teach us wrong things. Help us keep our eyes on you. Help us to know Jesus so well that so nobody else can fool us into believing that they are really Jesus. Amen.

© 2009 by Janice D. Green

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

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Jesus Wants All of Me

November 8, 2009 · Filed under devotions · Tagged

Is it hard to remember to pray or read your Bible at bedtime? That is hard for many people.

Jesus Wants All of MeJesus Wants All of Me, written by Phil A. Smouse,  is a great book of devotions that was written for small children. It is easy to read, has nice pictures, a short Bible verse and a prayer for every day of the year. It even has a place for you to write your thoughts to share with Jesus. You might ask your parents to look for a copy of this book for you to read every day.

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And God said…

November 5, 2009 · Filed under Creation, Genesis · Tagged , ,

Yesterday I wrote about the Genesis account of how God created the heavens and the earth. I wanted you to see the order God used so I didn’t want to write about everything at once. Today I want to talk about something very important about how God made everything.

Look at the first chapter in Genesis. (It’s the first chapter in the whole Bible.) Each day of creation begins with the words “And God said…”

So how did God put everything in place? God said it and it was done.

That may seem strange to you. But I don’t think it is strange at all. There was a famous scientist named Albert Einstein who came up with a fancy formula. This is the formula: E = MC2. This formula may look hard to understand, but there is one simple truth in it that I hope you will see. The E stands for energy. The M stands for mass (everything in the universe is made up of mass). And the C stands for the speed of light. What does all of this have to do with God speaking the world into place? Energy produces everything. But where did the energy come from that turned into everything we see? It came out of God. He opened his mouth and it all came out, but not in some crazy spilled out way. God spoke exactly what everything was supposed to look like, to feel like, to smell like, to sound like, and even what it would taste like. He chose what to make on the first day, the second day and so on, so it would all work together.

Wow! Now that’s powerful stuff. There was no series of chance happenings that started up this universe. It was God Almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, and full of love and beauty, who made our earth and all the stars and planets that go farther than any man can see through the most  powerful telescopes on earth. Worship him in your heart, because God deserves all of our love and praise.

Father God, how awesome you are. You made the highest mountains and the tiniest flower or speck of dust. You made the stars and planets and you made the tiny atoms that make up everything from sand to flowers and trees. Our minds are so small in comparison to yous. Yet when we remember that you created us in your image we can only wonder. You gave us a little of your mind, a little of your heart, a little of your love…  How can we understand it all? Help us God. Help us to want to know you with all our hearts. Teach us what you want us to know. Amen.

© 2009 by Janice D. Green

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Some really old people!

November 5, 2009 · Filed under Bible, Genesis · Tagged , ,

How old does somebody have to be to be old? 40 years? 50 years? 70 years? 90? over 100? It’s funny, but when I was a little girl I thought 30 and 40 was old. But when I reached 30 I didn’t think it was old at all. I kept on having more birthdays until now I think 90 is old.

The Bible says the first people God created got much older than people do today. Adam lived to be 930 years old before he died. Adam’s great great great great great grandson was Methuselah, and Methuselah lived to be 969 years old when he died. Because Adam lived so long, he lived to see Methuselah. And Methuselah lived until after Noah was born.

How could people live so long back then? Nobody really knows the answer to that question. Some people use information from the Bible like this as excuses to say the Bible is just wrong. Here are some things to consider before you let this kind of thinking get in the way of learning and believing what the Bible has to say.

  • Sea turtles have been known to live over 250 years.
  • Mollusks or clams have been found that may be over 400 years old.
  • There is a Bristlecone pine tree (named Methuselah)  in the White Mountains in California that is believed to be over 4,000 years old.
  • These really old people all lived before the time of Noah and the great flood. So many things about the earth, its climate and atmosphere could have been very different then.
  • God’s first plan for Adam and Eve was that they should live forever, but they messed that up when they ate the fruit God told them not to eat.

Before you let anyone tell you not to believe the Bible because of these things, remember that nobody can prove the people didn’t live that long – they can only guess about it. The Bible says they did.

Almighty God, you are so great and so powerful. You decided what we would look like before we were born. You are the one who gives us life and who decides how long we can live. Thank you for making us. Give us the courage to believe the Bible, even if others say we are wrong. Amen.

© 2009 by Janice Green

Here is a link to a chart I found that gives the ages of many people in the Bible beginning with Adam and ending several generations after the flood when people didn’t live as long.

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God made the heavens and the earth

November 4, 2009 · Filed under Bible, Creation, Genesis · Tagged

Where did the earth come from? What about the sun and the moon and the stars? Who made the plants and animals and people?

In the first chapter of Genesis (the first book in the Bible) we read that God made everything. Here is some of what the Bible tells us.

In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth but at first everything was dark and like nothing at all. Like a spirit God floated over deep waters before he went to work.

First Day  On the first day God made the light and he separated it from the darkness.

Second Day On the second day God made the sky and used it to separate the water. Some water was above the sky and some was below the sky.

Third Day On the third day God gathered up the water that was under the sky. Then he told the dry ground to come up out of the water. He called the dry ground land. Then God made the plants to grow on the dry ground, and the plants made fruit and seeds.

Fourth Day On the fourth day God made the sun, moon, and stars. I wonder if he took all the light he made on the first day and filled up the sun and stars with it. The sun was so bright it bounced off the moon at night. God started up the seasons and began measuring days and years with the sun and earth and all the stars and planets.

Fifth Day On the fifth day God filled the sea with fish and sea animals. He also filled the sky with birds. God thought of everything. It’s a good thing he made the plants first or the birds wouldn’t have any trees to make nests in. The birds also needed the plants God made for food. 

Sixth Day On the sixth day God made the land animals. He also made people on the sixth day. The Bible tells us that people were made in God’s image. This made people more special than any of the other creatures God had made. God told the people to rule over the fish, birds, and animals.

Seventh Day On the seventh day God rested. God said everything he had made was good. Now it was time for him to rest for a day and to enjoy his creation. God wants us to rest on the seventh day of every week too.

Something we can only wonder about: What did God do the next week after he made the heavens and the earth? He only rested one day. 

You can learn more about the creation by reading it straight from the Bible. If you click on this link, Genesis 1, you can read it on your computer.

Father God, thank you for making the earth, and for making it so beautiful. Thank you for making us in your image so that we can know you in a special way. Help us to be responsible and to take care of the earth and the plants and animals you made.

(c) 2009 by Janice Green

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The biggest gift

November 3, 2009 · Filed under Giving, Mark · Tagged ,

If I gave you a penny would you get all excited about it? Probably not. One day Jesus watched a poor widow put two tiny coins worth less than a penny into the offering. 

Other people gave lots of money if you count how much it can buy, but Jesus wasn’t thinking about that. Jesus knew that the other people had much more money and they only gave a little part of what they had. But this woman was very poor, and this was all she had. Yet she gave it all to God by putting it into the offering. I think she probably felt embarrassed that her offering was so small. But Jesus didn’t think her offering was small. Jesus said she had given more than anyone else, because she gave all she had.

One year I was a third grade teacher. One of my students’ father was in prison. This little boy was teased by the other students. Many times during recess we talked about Jesus. When I opened the Christmas presents the students had given me, the students laughed at this little boy’s gift. It was a stuffed dinosaur that he had obviously played with for a long time. The gifts the other children brought were things their parents probably bought at a store, but this child gave me something that was precious to him. I believe there was more love in his gift than in all the other gifts put together.

You can read this Bible story about the widow’s offering yourself in Mark 12:41-44. If you don’t have a Bible, click on the link and read it on your monitor screen.

Dear Jesus, thank you for seeing us through eyes of love. Help us to have loving hearts too. Help us to want to give generously because we love you. Thank you for telling us about this lady in your Bible. We are glad that you saw in her gift how much she loved God, and that you loved her too. Amen.

© 2009 by Janice D. Green

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Ask and you will receive

November 2, 2009 · Filed under Matthew, Prayer · Tagged

When do you pray? At the dinner table? At bedtime with your mother or father? These are good times to pray, but did you know that some of our best prayers happen at other times.

I prayed a special prayer once when I was young. I lived on a truck farm with my family. On a truck farm people raise many kinds of vegetables to sell to grocery stores and to people who come to the farm to buy them. Everybody worked on the farm. My brothers and sister and I helped to pull weeds in the fields. We also caught bugs and caterpillars that ate the plants.

One hot Saturday afternoon I kicked off my shoes while pulling weeds in the bean fields. On Sunday morning when we were getting ready to go to church I couldn’t find them. I really liked Sunday school and had been trying to get perfect attendance. When I couldn’t find my shoes Dad said I would have to stay home. I was about to cry. Then I remembered that I had left them in the field the day before. I ran to the field behind the barn, and then ran up and down the long rows of beans hoping I would see my shoes. But I couldn’t find them.

Then I thought about prayer. Did God really answer our prayers? Would He help me find my shoes? I stopped looking, bowed my head, and closed my eyes. “Please God, if you really do answer prayers, help me find my shoes.” Then I opened my eyes and turned around. What joy! I didn’t even have to walk again to look for my shoes because I could see them lying on the ground right behind where I was standing when I prayed.

There is a Bible verse that says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NIV)

When have you prayed for something you really wanted? Can you tell about a special prayer God has answered for you? If so, please write about it in the comments below. It is exciting to share how God shows His love to us.

Did you ever pray for something that you didn’t get? Sometimes God answers by saying “No” or “Wait a little longer.” We have to trust that God knows what is best for us. Sometimes we ask for things we want, but God knows if we are asking for things that are not good for us. When God says “No” it is still a good thing.

Heavenly Father, help us to remember to pray when we need your help. People tell us you love us. Show us your love in the way you answer our prayers. And help us to love you more and more every day. Amen.

© 2009 by Janice D. Green

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

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Why “Honeycomb” Kids?

November 2, 2009 · Filed under Bible, Psalms · Tagged ,

I know that some of you are wondering why I call this blog “Honeycomb Kids.” The idea came from Psalm 19:9-10. 

   9 …The ordinances of the LORD are sure
       and altogether righteous.

 10 They are more precious than gold,
       than much pure gold;
       they are sweeter than honey,
       than honey from the comb.” (NIV)

The word “ordinances” is a fancy word that means all the love and teachings and rules God has for us in His Bible. God’s Word is sweeter than all the honey in the honeycombs. Honey is sweet, but when you taste it straight from the combs it is sweeter still.

There is another Bible verse that is much like this one. It says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8 NIV)

Let’s make a regular practice of reading from God’s Word, the Bible, so we won’t miss out on all the wonderful things God has in store for us. Taste and see – it is sweeter than honey from the comb!

Father God, help us to find the rich treasures you have stored up for us in your Bible. Make us hungry for all your special Words so we will find and taste the honey from the comb.

© 2009 by Janice D. Green

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

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