This Bible belongs to. Given by. Date. Occasion

This Bible belongs to Given by Date Occasion

Bible Verses to Know In the beginning God created the sky and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. So don t be afraid. The Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go. Joshua 1:9 The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need. He gives me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water. He gives me new strength. For the good of his name, he leads me on paths that are right. Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid because you are with me. Your rod and your shepherd s staff comfort me. You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies. You pour oil of blessing on my head. You give me more than I can hold. Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life. And I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23 I say this because I know what I have planned for you, says the Lord. I have good plans for you. I don t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. Jeremiah 29:11 The thing you should want most is God s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. Matthew 6:33

How Do I Pray? We talk to our friends all day without a problem. But when it is time to pray, sometimes we don t know what to say. How do I talk to God? we may wonder. How do I even begin? Don t worry. Even Jesus disciples asked these same questions. So Jesus taught them a simple prayer to help them understand how to talk to God. It might seem a little strange at first, speaking to someone you can t see. But God is right here, closer than you can even imagine. And He loves to hear what you have to say to Him. Praying is simply talking to your best friend, God. Here s the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray: Our Father in heaven, we pray that your name will always be kept holy. We pray that your kingdom will come. We pray that what you want will be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive the sins we have done, just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us. And do not cause us to be tested; but save us from the Evil One. Matthew 6:9 13

My Favorite Bible Verses

HOLY BIBLE with Devotions from Sarah Young s Jesus Calling

ICB Jesus Calling Bible for Children 2017 by Tommy Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson Devotions copyright 2017 by Sarah Young The Holy Bible, International Children s Bible Copyright 2015 by Tommy Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Holy Bible, International Children s Bible Copyright 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. The Publisher is pleased hereby to grant permission for the International Children s Bible to be quoted or reprinted without prior written permission with the following qualifications: (1) up to and including one thousand verses may be quoted, except (a) the verses being quoted may not comprise as much as 50% of the work in which they are quoted and/or (b) the verses quoted may not comprise an entire book of the Bible when quoted; (2) all ICB quotations must conform accurately to the ICB text. A proper copyright credit line must appear on the copyright page of any work quoting from the International Children s Bible, as follows: Scriptures quoted from the International Children s Bible, copyright 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission. Quotations from this Bible may be identified in written form with the abbreviation (ICB) in less formal documents, such as bulletins, newsletters, curriculum, media pieces, posters, transparencies, and where space is limited. Quotations of more than one thousand verses must be approved by Thomas Nelson, Inc., in writing in advance of use. Contact: Tommy Nelson, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214 The preliminary research and development on the International Children s Bible was done by the World Bible Translation Center, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas 76182. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations used in this book are from The Holy Bible, International Children s Bible Scripture quotations marked cev are taken from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked nasb are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.lockman.org) Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, niv. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The niv and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked nkjv are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Illustrations by Carolina Farias Cover design and Bible story page designs by: Koechel Peterson, Minneapolis, MN Interior design and typesetting by: Blue Heron Bookcraft, Battle Ground, WA, and Richmond & Williams, Brentwood, TN All Rights Reserved 17 18 19 20 21 - DSC - 5 4 3 2 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction... iv Preface...vi Key Verse Highlights...viii Article Index...xiv Old Testament Genesis... 1 Exodus... 57 Leviticus... 104 Numbers... 137 Deuteronomy... 178 Joshua... 219 Judges... 246 Ruth... 273 1 Samuel... 277 2 Samuel... 310 1 Kings... 338 2 Kings... 372 1 Chronicles... 404 2 Chronicles... 437 Ezra... 475 Nehemiah... 486 Esther... 502 Job... 511 Psalms... 549 Proverbs... 659 Ecclesiastes... 697 Song of Songs.... 708 Isaiah... 715 Jeremiah... 804 Lamentations... 883 Ezekiel... 892 Daniel........... 945 Hosea... 962 Joel... 973 Amos... 978 Obadiah... 987 Jonah... 989 Micah... 992 Nahum... 1001 Habakkuk... 1004 Zephaniah... 1010 Haggai... 1016 Zechariah... 1018 Malachi... 1028 New Testament Matthew... 1033 Mark... 1082 Luke... 1109 John... 1155 Acts... 1195 Romans... 1235 1 Corinthians... 1259 2 Corinthians... 1278 Galatians... 1292 Ephesians...1299 Philippians... 1313 Colossians... 1324 1 Thessalonians. 1330 2 Thessalonians. 1335 1 Timothy... 1338 2 Timothy... 1344 Titus... 1348 Philemon... 1351 Hebrews... 1352 James... 1370 1 Peter... 1378 2 Peter... 1384 1 John... 1387 2 John... 1396 3 John... 1397 Jude... 1398 Revelation... 1400 Dictionary... 1422 Where Do I Find It?... 1444 What God Promises About.... 1447 Memory Verses for My Life... 1449 Notes... 1452

iv INTRODUCTION Knowing and loving Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I want you to enjoy this special friendship with Jesus too! He is the Friend who is always with you and loves you more than you can imagine. A personal relationship with Jesus will change your life forever! You can get to know Jesus by reading your Bible and by praying. This Bible you are holding is very special. It is translated in words that you can read and understand. There are also over 300 highlighted key memory verses for you to see, read, and learn. One wonderful thing you will discover is that the entire Bible points us to Jesus! Because of His sacrifice on the cross, forgiveness and eternal life are promised to all of us who call on His Name trusting Him as Savior. Along with the Bible, which is God s gift to us to help us learn about His Love and His plans for us, some additional features are included: Bible stories from the Jesus Calling Bible Storybook highlighting key people and events in God s family, fun illustrations, and 160 devotions from Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids. These special features can help you get to know Jesus even better. The devotions are written as if Jesus is speaking right to you. So I, Me, My, and Mine are always about Jesus. I wrote the devotions this way to help you know that Jesus is with you all the time and wants to be your best Friend. Each devotion includes Scripture verses that you can look up in your Bible. The devotions are based on the Bible, which is God s perfect Word. Only the Bible is inspired with no errors at all. My hope and prayer is that you will understand how much Jesus

Introduction v loves you. He loves you so much that He died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins. If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior forgiving all your sins I hope you will do that very soon. It s the most important decision you will ever make! All the promises of the Bible are for you when Jesus is your Savior. So find a quiet place and take time each day to read your Bible and these stories and devotions. Remember, Jesus is Immanuel God with us. So He is God with you. I pray that you will enjoy His Presence and His Peace as you spend time with Him. Bountiful Blessings!

vi PREFACE The International Children s Bible is not a storybook or a paraphrased Bible. It is a translation of God s Word from the original Hebrew and Greek languages. It is the first translation of the Holy Scriptures prepared specifically for children. Until now children have had to learn God s truths either from Bible storybooks or adult-language Bibles. Many words and concepts, readily understood by adults, may leave children mystified or even with false impressions. Yet, God intended for everyone to be able to understand his Word. Earliest Scriptures were in Hebrew, ideally suited for a barely literate society because of its economy of words, acrostic literary form and poetic parallelism. The New Testament was first written in the simple Greek of everyday life, not in the Latin of Roman courts or the classical Greek of the academies. Even Jesus, the Master Teacher, taught spiritual principles by comparing them to such familiar terms as pearls, seeds, rocks, trees and sheep. It is for this same purpose of making the Scriptures intelligible that this translation was created. A Trustworthy Translation Two basic premises guided the translation process. The first concern was that the translation be faithful to the manuscripts in the original languages. A team composed of the World Bible Translation Center and twenty-one additional, highly qualified and experienced Bible scholars and translators was assembled. The team included men with translation experience on such accepted versions as the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible and the New King James Version. The most recent scholarship and the best available Hebrew and Greek texts were used, principally the third edition of the United Bible Societies Greek text and the latest edition of the Biblia Hebraica, along with the Septuagint. A Clear Translation The second concern was to make the language simple enough for children to read and understand it for themselves. In maintaining language simplicity, several guidelines were followed. Sentences have been kept short and uncomplicated. Vocabulary choice has been based upon The Living Word Vocabulary by Dr. Edgar Dale and Dr. Joseph O Rourke (Worldbook-Childcraft International, 1981) which is the standard used by the editors of The World Book Encyclopedia to determine appropriate vocabulary. For difficult words which have no simpler synonyms, footnotes and dictionary references are provided. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and are indicated in the text by an n (for note ). The dictionary is located at the back of the Bible with references indicated in the text by the word presented in bold, and a d. Dr. Charles K. Kinzer of Peabody College of Education, Vanderbilt University, did a comparative study of this base text and four other versions commonly used by children. The results showed that the International Children s Bible was clearly the easiest version for children to comprehend on the literal level. The word choice in this version was also judged to be the most appropriate for the youngest students. It was, in fact, the only version that could be comprehended on a third-grade instructional level (Kinzer, Ransom, and Hammond, 1983). The International Children s Bible aids a child s understanding by putting concepts into natural terms. Modern measurements and geographical locations have been used as much as possible. For instance, the traditional shekels and cubits have been converted to modern equivalents of weights and measures. Where geographical references are identical, the modern name has been used, such as the Mediterranean Sea instead of Great Sea or

Western Sea. Also, to minimize confusion, the most familiar name for a place is used consistently, instead of using variant names for the same place. Lake Galilee is used throughout rather than its variant forms, Sea of Kinnereth, Lake Gennesaret and Sea of Tiberias. Ancient customs are often unfamiliar to modern readers. Customs such as shaving a man s beard to shame him or walking between the halves of a dead animal to seal an agreement are difficult for many readers to understand. So these are clarified either in the text or in a footnote. Since connotations of words change with time, care has been taken to avoid potential misunderstandings. Instead of describing ancient citadels as forts, which for modern readers would likely conjure up pictures of wooden stockades in the Old West, the International Children s Bible uses strong, walled cities. Instead of using the phrase God drove the nations out of Canaan, the phrase is translated forced them out of Canaan. Rhetorical questions have been worded as statements, showing the implied meaning, as in this example: No one is equal to our God, instead of Who is equal to our God? Figures of speech can easily be misunderstood as literal statements. For instance, when Canaan is described as a land flowing with milk Preface vii and honey, children might literally see milk and honey running through the streets. To clarify, the International Children s Bible has translated the meaning of the figures, while preserving the image as much as possible. Idiomatic expressions of the biblical languages are translated to communicate the same meaning to today s child that would have been understood by the original audience. For example, the Hebrew idiom he rested with his fathers is translated by its meaning he died. Every attempt has been made to maintain proper English style, while simplifying concepts and communications. The beauty of the Hebrew parallelism in poetry and the word plays have been retained. Images of the ancient languages have been captured in equivalent English images wherever possible. Our Prayer It is with great humility and prayerfulness that this Bible is presented to God s children, young and old. We acknowledge the infallibility of God s Word and our own human frailty. We pray that God has worked through us as his vessels so that his precious children might learn his truth for themselves and that it might richly grow in their lives. It is to his glory that this Bible is given. The Publisher

viii KEY VERSE HIGHLIGHTS The Bible is the greatest book ever written. In it God himself speaks to us. It is a book of joy and happiness because it shows us how much we are loved. It is a book of wonder because it shows that God made the world and that he made you! It offers comfort when we are sad. It helps us know what to do when we are confused. The Bible also shows us how to make good choices for our lives each day. God s Word gives us hope and help for our every need. The Bible alone truly answers the greatest questions that men and women, boys and girls have asked throughout history. Have you ever asked these questions? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? How can I know the truth? The Bible shows us the truth about God. It explains the beginning of man. God s Word points out the only way to salvation and eternal life. There are many great things that reading and learning about the Bible will do for us. Some of these important things are: 1. The Bible shows us how amazing and great and wonderful is God s love for us. 2. The Bible tells us about Jesus, our best friend. 3. The Bible shows us how to live a great life. 4. The Bible teaches us right from wrong. 5. The Bible explains how we can ask God to forgive us for our wrong choices (sins). 6. The Bible gives us strength and hope. 7. The Bible tells us how to pray. 8. The Bible shows us how we can live forever in heaven. The next few pages include verses that Christians will find valuable. These key verses of faith can help us live a good life and share God s love with others. The verses are highlighted in this Bible so they are easy to see, read, and learn. Key Verse Highlights Topical Index Acceptance John 6:37 Angels Hebrews 1:14 Anger Psalm 37:8 Proverbs 3:11 12 Proverbs 14:29 Proverbs 15:1 Proverbs 22:24 25 Proverbs 29:22 Matthew 5:22 24 Ephesians 4:31 32 Baptism Romans 6:4 Beauty 1 Samuel 16:7 1 Peter 3:3 4 Believe John 1:12 John 17:20 22 2 Corinthians 6:14 Blessing Numbers 6:24 26 Luke 11:28 Bravery Deuteronomy 31:6 John 16:33 Acts 4:29 30 Hebrews 10:35 36 Caring Luke 6:31 Romans 12:15 1 Timothy 5:8

Key Verse Highlights ix Hebrews 13:3 Celebration Nehemiah 8:10 Choices Deuteronomy 30:19 Joshua 24:15 James 4:17 Comfort Psalm 23:4 2 Corinthians 1:3 4 2 Thessalonians 2:16 17 Confession Psalm 32:5 Proverbs 28:13 Contentment Philippians 4:11 13 Hebrews 13:5 Creation Genesis 1:1 Genesis 1:27 Psalm 139:13 14 Psalm 139:16 Ecclesiastes 1:9 Ecclesiastes 5:15 Cruelty Proverbs 22:16 Encouragement Proverbs 12:18 Ephesians 4:29 Evil Proverbs 6:16 19 Proverbs 11:20 Fairness 2 Samuel 23:3 4 Faith Matthew 17:20 Mark 9:23 John 1:12 Romans 1:12 Colossians 2:6 Hebrews 11:1 2 James 1:12 1 John 5:4 5 Fear 2 Kings 6:16 Psalm 23:4 Psalm 56:3 Psalm 56:11 Psalm 91:4 5 Proverbs 29:25 Matthew 10:28 Ephesians 3:12 Foolishness Proverbs 10:23 Proverbs 13:20 Proverbs 14:16 Forgiveness Psalm 51:1 2 Psalm 103:3 Matthew 5:22 24 Matthew 5:44 Romans 15:7 1 John 1:9 Freedom Ephesians 3:12 Friendship Proverbs 17:17 Proverbs 18:24 Proverbs 24:1 Ecclesiastes 4:9 Fruits of the Spirit Galatians 5:22 23 Giving Deuteronomy 15:11 Acts 20:35 2 Corinthians 9:7 8 Philippians 4:17 God Exodus 3:14 Exodus 34:14 Psalm 145:2 3 God s Glory Habakkuk 3:2 God s Love 2 Samuel 7:20 1 Kings 8:23 1 Chronicles 29:11 Psalm 23:6 Psalm 106:1 Psalm 107:1 Psalm 139:1 3 Psalm 145:8 Lamentations 3:22 23 Zephaniah 3:17 Haggai 1:13 Matthew 5 Mark 10:14 John 3:16 17 Romans 8:28 Romans 8:37 39 Ephesians 1:11 Ephesians 2:4 5

x Key Verse Highlights Ephesians 5:29 31 James 1:17 18 2 Peter 3:9 1 John 3:1 1 John 4:10 1 John 4:19 God s Power Romans 1:20 Ephesians 3:20 Ephesians 5:29 31 Revelation 1:8 Revelation 21:6 God s Rules Exodus 20 Leviticus 19:18 Deuteronomy 6:5 Deuteronomy 6:18 Joshua 1:8 9 God s Word John 1:1 2 Timothy 3:16 Hebrews 4:12 13 Goodness Galatians 6:9 Gossip Proverbs 4:23 24 Proverbs 12:18 Proverbs 13:3 Proverbs 16:28 Proverbs 26:20 Grace Romans 3:23 24 Romans 5:1 5 2 Corinthians 12:9 2 Thessalonians 2:16 17 Titus 2:11 12 Hebrews 4:16 Grief Psalm 147:3 Greed Proverbs 28:25 Matthew 6:19 Guidance Psalm 18:28 Psalm 18:30 32 Psalm 32:8 Psalm 119:105 Psalm 139:9 10 Proverbs 6:20 22 Guilt Psalm 32:5 Happiness Psalm 32:1 Proverbs 29:18 Philippians 4:4 Philippians 4:11 13 Philemon 7 Healing Psalm 147:3 Malachi 4:2 Heaven John 14:1 3 2 Corinthians 5:1 Helping Others Proverbs 3:27 Proverbs 21:13 Micah 6:8 Matthew 7:12 Matthew 25:40 Luke 6:31 Holy Spirit John 14:15 17 2 Corinthians 3:18 1 John 4:13 16 Honesty Proverbs 14:9 Honor Proverbs 23:22 1 Corinthians 6:19 20 Ephesians 6:1 4 Hope Psalm 42:5 6 Psalm 46:1 Jeremiah 29:11 2 Thessalonians 2:16 17 Hebrews 10:35 36 Humility Matthew 18:4 Identity Psalm 139:13 14 Psalm 139:16 1 Corinthians 12:27 Galatians 3:28 Innocence Proverbs 11:20 Jesus Luke 2 John 1:14 John 21:25 Acts 2:36 2 Corinthians 5:17

Joy Nehemiah 8:10 Psalm 16:11 Psalm 100:2 Psalm 118:24 Philippians 4:4 Judgment Matthew 7:1 Kindness Psalm 145:8 Laziness Proverbs 10:4 Proverbs 18:9 Learning Proverbs 3:1 2 Proverbs 4:1 Proverbs 4:13 14 Proverbs 9:9 Proverbs 22:6 Life John 10:10 John 10:27 28 John 11:25 26 Romans 6:23 Living Right Matthew 5:16 Romans 12:21 Galatians 6:9 Ephesians 5:15 16 Philippians 2:5 Philippians 2:13 Colossians 3:23 1 Timothy 4:12 1 Timothy 4:16 2 Timothy 2:22 Titus 2:11 12 James 4:7 8 1 Peter 1:14 15 1 John 2:27 1 John 3:7 3 John 11 Loneliness Joshua 1:5 1 Samuel 12:22 Haggai 1:13 Lord s Supper 1 Corinthians 11:26 Love Ruth 1:16 17 Song of Songs 8:7 Matthew 5:44 Matthew 22:37 Mark 12:28 31 John 13:34 35 Romans 12:9 10 1 Corinthians 13 Ephesians 4:2 Ephesians 5:1 2 Philemon 7 2 John 6 Lying Proverbs 4:23 24 Proverbs 12:22 Mercy Deuteronomy 4:31 Psalm 145:8 Proverbs 28:13 Key Verse Highlights xi Obedience Psalm 119:9 Psalm 119:11 Proverbs 1:23 Proverbs 1:33 Proverbs 3:11 Proverbs 4:1 Proverbs 4:13 14 Proverbs 6:20 22 Proverbs 10:17 Proverbs 13:13 Proverbs 16:7 Proverbs 22:6 Proverbs 28:4 Proverbs 28:7 Proverbs 29:18 Isaiah 48:18 Ezekiel 36:26 27 Matthew 28:19 20 Luke 11:28 John 8:31 32 Romans 12:21 Romans 13:13 14 1 Corinthians 6:19 20 Ephesians 5:21 Ephesians 6:1 4 Colossians 3:20 Hebrews 5:8 9 Patience Psalm 27:14 Psalm 46:10 Proverbs 16:32 Ephesians 4:2 James 5:7 8 Peace Numbers 6:24 26 Isaiah 26:3 Matthew 11:28 Luke 2:14 John 14:27

xii Key Verse Highlights John 16:33 Romans 12:17 18 Philippians 4:6 8 Power Judges 5:31 Praise Ezra 3:11 Psalm 106:1 Psalm 145:2 3 Psalm 150:6 Prayer Psalm 145:18 Matthew 5:44 Matthew 6:9 13 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Pride Proverbs 21:4 Obadiah 4 Promise Proverbs 12:22 James 5:12 Protection Psalm 46:1 Psalm 91:4 5 Psalm 121:7 8 Amos 5:14 Jonah 2:1 2 Nahum 1:7 Zechariah 2:10 Ephesians 6:10 Provision Matthew 6:8 Matthew 6:25 26 Matthew 6:33 Matthew 7:7 Purpose Esther 4:14 Ecclesiastes 3 Rejoicing Psalm 118:24 Respect Proverbs 23:17 Proverbs 23:22 Ezekiel 36:26 27 Ephesians 5:21 Sadness Psalm 42:5 6 Psalm 147:3 John 11:35 Revelation 21:3 4 Safety Proverbs 1:33 Joel 3:16 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Salvation Psalm 67:1 2 Isaiah 1:18 Daniel 12:2 3 Jonah 2:1 2 Matthew 18:10 11 Luke 5:31 32 John 3:3 John 3:16 17 John 10:10 John 10:27 28 John 11:25 26 John 14:6 Acts 2:36 Acts 2:38 Romans 3:23 24 Romans 5:1 5 Romans 5:8 Romans 6:23 Romans 10:9 10 Ephesians 1:13 14 Ephesians 2:4 5 Ephesians 2:8 9 2 Timothy 1:10 12 Hebrews 5:8 9 Hebrews 9:15 Hebrews 12:2 1 Peter 2:24 1 John 4:10 Satan Revelation 20:10 Savior Isaiah 53:11 12 2 Corinthians 5:17 Service Psalm 100:2 Proverbs 21:13 John 13:6 Sharing Matthew 28:19 20 Luke 4:18 19 Ephesians 6:20 Strength Exodus 15:2 Deuteronomy 31:6 2 Chronicles 16:9 2 Chronicles 7:14 Job 17:9 Psalm 27:14 Psalm 46:1

Key Verse Highlights xiii Isaiah 40:30 31 Jude 24 Success Proverbs 3:1 2 Proverbs 21:21 Temptation 1 Corinthians 10:13 2 Timothy 2:22 James 1:12 James 4:17 Thankfulness Psalm 100:4 Colossians 3:17 Trouble 2 Corinthians 4:7 8 Trust Psalm 37:3 Psalm 37:5 Psalm 56:3 Psalm 56:11 Proverbs 3:5 6 Proverbs 29:25 Isaiah 26:3 Isaiah 40:30 31 John 14:1 3 Truth John 1:14 John 3:3 John 8:31 32 Acts 2:36 James 5:12 Trying 1 Corinthians 9:24 Philippians 3:13 14 Colossians 3:23 1 Timothy 6:12 Values Proverbs 16:17 Proverbs 21:21 Proverbs 28:10 Proverbs 31 Matthew 18:4 Weakness 2 Corinthians 12:9 Wisdom 1 Kings 3:9 Job 28:28 Psalm 32:8 Psalm 119:11 Psalm 139:23 24 Proverbs 2:20 Proverbs 3:1 2 Proverbs 9:9 Proverbs 9:11 Proverbs 10:1 Proverbs 13:13 Proverbs 13:24 Proverbs 16:7 Proverbs 19:20 Proverbs 21:23 Proverbs 28:7 Hosea 14:9 Matthew 4:4 Ephesians 5:15 16 Colossians 2:3 James 1:5 Worry Psalm 23:4 John 14:27 Philippians 4:6 8 1 Peter 5:7 Worship John 4:23 24 Romans 12:1 2 Youth 1 Timothy 4:12

xiv ARTICLE INDEX It All Starts with Me...2 Your Amazing Mind...3 Wired....5 I Never Left....31 Break Away...60 Your Strength, Your Song...73 No Matter Where I Lead...74 Seeking Perfection....80 No More Comparisons...145 The Treasure....146 Search for Me....184 What I Want Most...187 The Future Is My Secret......... 209 Listen for My Voice...211 I Won t Leave You Ever...212 I Will Take Care of You...218 I Will Never Leave You...220 Don t Rehearse Your Problems...221 No Need to Pretend...294 I ve Got Plans for You...350 The Gift of Your Time...451 Tell It to Me....512 The Tip of the Iceberg...548 Pray First....556 Do You Feel It?...557 You Will Find Me...561 I Am Your Shepherd....564 I Am Still Here...567 Three Little Words...568 The Best Security System Ever...570 The Ultimate Time Manager...573 I Am Always Good....575 Untangling the Knots...576 I Am Calling You...579 Sometimes I Whisper...586 Run to Me...587 I Will Shelter You...596 Hold My Hand...597 Every Step...618 Don t Worship Your Worries...633 Expect Surprises!....636 Tune In to Me...639 Autopilot...642 I Never Run Out....648 I Understand You Completely...652 My Definition of Wonderful...653 Hidden Blessings...662 Before You Work....676 Lighten Up!....679 I Am Lord!...680 Whisper Jesus... 693 Everything in Its Own Time...700 Don t Put Me on Hold...710 Prince of Peace....725 The Treasure Hunt....730 I m Right by Your Side....743 I Am Waiting....750 My Voice...751 A New Habit....762 Have You Heard?... 764 My Training Program...766 Be Bold!....767 Jump In with Both Feet....771 Trust My Way...786 Puzzle Pieces...787 A Jewel in My Crown...795 The Price I Paid...796 I Am the Potter...800 I Will Give You Wings...828 Get Ready for the Adventure!... 843 Search for Me....844 Surviving the Storms...848 Weak and Weary...850 I m Right Next to You...888

While You Wait...889 Your Special Path....998 Watch to See What I Will Do...1000 Windows of Heaven...1008 No Shortcuts....1009 Hear My Song...1014 Count On Me...1015 Still and Quiet...1020 Who I Am...1035 Just What You Need...1036 Be a Light...1040 A Treasure of Trust...1043 I Already Know...1045 Rock or Sand?...1047 Rest...1053 The Curtain....1079 I Did It All for You...1081 I Make You Complete....1094 Like a Little Child...1097 Never Give Up!....1111 The Here-and-Now...1113 Not Guilty...1122 Choose Me...1132 You Are Valuable...1136 Bubbling Joy....1159 Enjoy Life!... 1171 The Right Road...1177 Don t Get Stuck...1178 My Spirit in You...1180 An Adventure with Me...1181 Don t Borrow Worries...1182 Ordinary Days...1183 No Other Friend Like Me...1185 The Empty Spot...1187 Follow Me...1194 My Name...1200 In Hard Times....1220 I Speak to You in Love....1243 A Child of the King...1244 Make Friends with Your Problems. 1246 A New Way of Thinking...1252 The Hope of Heaven...1253 Enjoy the Mysteries....1256 Article index xv The Temple of God...1262 A Day That Is Just Right....1269 I Love You...1273 Shine!...1281 Winning My Way...1283 The Invisible Shepherd...1284 A New You....1285 I Make You Complete....1298 Making the Grade...1301 Stay with Me...1302 What Are You Waiting For?....1304 My Gift to You....1305 Dare to Dream My Dream...1306 Sticks and Stones...1308 Depend on Me...1310 Your Hope and My Promise...1312 One Word...1315 Dare to Be Different...1316 Just Today...1318 A Joyful Heart...1320 Focusing Your Thoughts...1321 The Secret of Being Happy....1322 Smile in the Face of Trouble....1323 That s Not Fair...1327 Working for Me...1328 Yes, Everything... 1333 Let Me Stop the Storm...1337 Come to Me...1343 Unconditionally...1356 And That Is Faith....... 1363 The Pit of Self-Pity...1365 Dark Days....1366 I Won t Let You Down...1369 Worth Celebrating...1371 Tough It Out...1372 Shout It Out Loud...1376 Love Takes Care of It All...1382 Think the Thought....1388 Wandering Thoughts....1390 You Are My Child...1391 One of a Kind...1394 I Am Timeless....1401 Exactly the Same....1420

THE OLD TESTAMENT

THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES CALLED GENESIS The Beginning of the World 1 In the beginning God d created the sky and the earth. 2 The earth was empty and had no form. Darkness covered the ocean, and God s Spirit d was moving over the water. 3 Then God said, Let there be light! And there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good. So he divided the light from the darkness. 5 God named the light day and the darkness night. Evening passed, and morning came. This was the first day. 6 Then God said, Let there be something to divide the water in two! 7 So God made the air to divide the water in two. Some of the water was above the air, and some of the water was below it. 8 God named the air sky. Evening passed, and morning came. This was the second day. 9 Then God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered together so the dry land will appear. And it happened. 10 God named the dry land earth. He named the water that was gathered together seas. God saw that this was good. 11 Then God said, Let the earth produce plants. Some plants will make grain for seeds. Others will make fruit with seeds in it. Every seed will produce more of its own kind of plant. And it happened. 12 The earth produced plants. Some plants had grain for seeds. The trees made fruit with seeds in it. Each seed grew its own kind of plant. God saw that all this was good. 13 Evening passed, and morning came. This was the third day. 14 Then God said, Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night. These lights will be used for signs, seasons, days and years. 15 They will be in the sky to give light to the earth. And it happened. 16So God made the two large lights. He made the brighter light to rule the day. He made the smaller light to rule the night. He also made the stars. 17God put all these in the sky to shine on the earth. 18 They are to rule over the day and over the night. He put them there to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that all these things were good. 19 Evening passed, and morning came. This was the fourth day. 20 Then God said, Let the water be filled with living things. And let birds fly in the air above the earth. 21So God created the large sea animals. He created every living thing that moves in the sea. The sea is filled with these living things. Each one produces more of its own kind. God also made every bird that flies. And each bird produces more of its own kind. God saw that this was good. 22God blessed them and said, Have many young ones and grow in number. Fill the water of the seas, and let the birds grow in number on the earth. 23 Evening passed, and morning came. This was the fifth day. 24 Then God said, Let the earth be filled with animals. And let each produce more of its own kind. Let there be tame animals and small crawling animals and wild animals. And let each produce more of its kind. And it happened. 25So God made the wild animals, the tame animals and all the small crawling animals to produce more of their own kind. God saw that this was good. 26 Then God said, Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the tame animals, over all the earth and over all the small crawling animals on the earth. 27So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female. 28 God blessed them and said, Have many children and grow

2 It All Starts with Me In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. G e n e s i s 1 : 1 n i v I t all starts with Me the universe, the earth, your life. And now I want your day to start with Me. Look around at all the things I have created. The thousands of different animals and birds. The millions of different flowers and trees. A new sunset every day for thousands of years. I am the most creative Being imaginable. And I want to pour some of that same creativity into your life. Many people get so caught up in their own plans for the future that they don t see the choices they need to make each day. They just sleepwalk through their days, following the same old boring paths. But if you live close to Me, I will lead you along fresh trails of adventure showing you new, exciting things. Don t worry about what s on the road up ahead or which way you should go. When you get to a choice-point, I will help you choose the right way. Stay close to Me, and I will guide you step by step. Prayer Lord Jesus, You created me to be a brand-new person, part of Your beautiful creation. I know You have a beautiful life planned for me. Please help me see everything I should see today and trust You for everything I will need in the future. Application Tonight, take a flashlight outside and turn it on. How far can you see? Can you see for miles? Or just far enough to walk safely? That s how Jesus lights your path. He shows you enough to guide your steps each day, but He doesn t show you everything. That s so you ll learn to rely on Him. Say out loud, Jesus, I trust You to light my path. Amen!

Your Amazing Mind 3 God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female. G e n e s i s 1 : 2 7 Icreated you in My own image. You are the best of My creation. I gave you a mind that is capable of amazing, creative thoughts. And I risked everything by giving you the freedom to think for yourself. Your wonderful human mind makes you totally different from animals and robots. I could have created you so that you had to always love Me and seek Me. But I wanted you to use your mind to choose loving and seeking Me. Your mind is amazing. It can imagine, it can dream, and it can also rebel. Bring your mind and thoughts to Me. Let Me take away the anger, the doubts, the rebellion and give you Love, Faith, and Peace. Prayer Dear Jesus, I m amazed that You created me to talk and think and choose. You even let me choose to love You and obey You. The freedom You give me to choose makes me want to love and obey You more. I m very thankful for such an amazing mind! Application Have you ever tried to talk to one of your pets? Did it talk back? Pets can communicate in some ways, but they can t speak or pray or sing worship songs. Only you can do that because God created you in His image, capable of amazing and wonderful things! As you enjoy your pets, remember how special it is that you can talk to God.

4 Genesis 1:29 in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over the fish in the sea and over the birds in the sky. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth. 29God said, Look, I have given you all the plants that have grain for seeds. And I have given you all the trees whose fruits have seeds in them. They will be food for you. 30 I have given all the green plants to all the animals to eat. They will be food for every wild animal, every bird of the air and every small crawling animal. And it happened. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and it was very good. Evening passed, and morning came. This was the sixth day. The Seventh Day Rest 2 So the sky, the earth and all that filled them were finished. 2 By the seventh day God finished the work he had been doing. So on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it holy because on that day he rested. He rested from all the work he had done in creating the world. The First People 4 This is the story of the creation of the sky and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the sky, 5there were no plants on the earth. Nothing was growing in the fields. The Lord God had not yet made it rain on the land. And there was no man to care for the ground. 6 But a mist often rose from the earth and watered all the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and formed man from it. The Lord breathed the breath of life into the man s nose. And the man became a living person. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East, in a place called Eden. He put the man he had formed in that garden. 9 The Lord God caused every beautiful tree and every tree that was good for food to grow out of the ground. In the middle of the garden, God put the tree that gives life. And he put there the tree Genesis 2:23 4 that gives the knowledge of good and evil. 10A river flowed through Eden and watered the garden. From that point the river was divided. It had four streams flowing into it. 11 The name of the first stream is Pishon. It flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 That gold is good. Bdellium and onyx n are also there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon. It flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris. It flows out of Assyria toward the east. The fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it. 16 The Lord God commanded him, You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die! The First Woman 18 Then the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him. 19From the ground God formed every wild animal and every bird in the sky. He brought them to the man so the man could name them. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became its name. 20 The man gave names to all the tame animals, to the birds in the sky and to all the wild animals. But Adam n did not find a helper that was right for him. 21So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply. While the man was asleep, God took one of the ribs from the man s body. Then God closed the man s skin at the place where he took the rib. 22 The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then the Lord brought the woman to the man. 23And the man said, Now, this is someone whose bones came from my bones. Her body came from my body. I will call her woman, because she was taken out of man. 2:12 bdellium and onyx Bdellium is an expensive, sweet- smelling resin like myrrh. And onyx is a gem. 2:20 Adam This is the name of the first man. It also means humans, including men and women.

Wired 5 By the seventh day God finished the work he had been doing. So on the seventh day he rested from all his work. G e n e s i s 2 : 2 Television, cell phones, the Internet this electronic age keeps you wired much of the time. When you re an electrical appliance, being wired is a good thing. But when you are human, being wired can be exhausting. It also makes it harder for you to find Me in your moments. I created you to need rest. At creation, I even gave you the example of rest by taking a break from all My work. But the world has gotten so twisted that it makes you feel guilty about taking time to rest. This is a trick of the Devil. If he can keep you wired most of the time too busy to even stop and look for Me then he wins. Tell the Devil to get lost. Then lie down, close your eyes, and whisper, Jesus, help me rest. I ll cover you with a blanket of Peace and watch over you as you rest in Me. Prayer Dear Lord Jesus, I like it when our family relaxes and does things together. Sometimes I get so used to talking to friends, texting, or watching TV that I forget how important You are and my family. Help me to unplug and focus on what s most important. Application How many electronic gadgets are in your house? How many are yours? See if you can go a whole day without turning any of them on including the TV and computer. Stay unplugged for the day! Instead, read a book. Or the Bible. Maybe you can take a nice, long nap. Or perhaps you can visit with a family member. Jesus rested often, and so should you.

6 Genesis 2:24 24So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife. And the two people will become one body. 25 The man and his wife were naked, but they were not ashamed. The Beginning of Sin 3 Now the snake was the most clever of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day the snake spoke to the woman. He said, Did God really say that you must not eat fruit from any tree in the garden? 2 The woman answered the snake, We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But God told us, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch it, or you will die. 4But the snake said to the woman, You will not die. 5 God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree, you will learn about good and evil. Then you will be like God! 6 The woman saw that the tree was beautiful. She saw that its fruit was good to eat and that it would make her wise. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of the fruit to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then, it was as if the man s and the woman s eyes were opened. They realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made something to cover themselves. 8 Then they heard the Lord God walking in the garden. This was during the cool part of the day. And the man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man. The Lord said, Where are you? 10 The man answered, I heard you walking in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked. So I hid. 11God said to the man, Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that tree? I commanded you not to eat from that tree. 12 The man said, You gave this woman to me. She gave me fruit from the tree. So I ate it. 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, What have you done? Genesis 3:20 6 She answered, The snake tricked me. So I ate the fruit. 14 The Lord God said to the snake, Because you did this, a curse will be put on you. You will be cursed more than any tame animal or wild animal. You will crawl on your stomach, and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants d and her descendants will be enemies. Her child will crush your head. And you will bite his heel. 16 Then God said to the woman, I will cause you to have much trouble when you are pregnant. And when you give birth to children, you will have great pain. You will greatly desire your husband, but he will rule over you. 17 Then God said to the man, You listened to what your wife said. And you ate fruit from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from. So I will put a curse on the ground. You will have to work very hard for food. In pain you will eat its food all the days of your life. 18 The ground will produce thorns and weeds for you. And you will eat the plants of the field. 19 You will sweat and work hard for your food. Later you will return to the ground. This is because you were taken from the ground. You are dust. And when you die, you will return to the dust. 20 The man named his wife Eve. n This is because she is the mother of everyone who ever lived. 3:20 Eve This name sounds like the Hebrew word meaning alive.

7 Genesis 3:21 21 The Lord God made clothes from animal skins for the man and his wife. And so the Lord dressed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, Look, the man has become like one of us. He knows good and evil. And now we must keep him from eating some of the fruit from the tree of life. If he does, he will live forever. 23 So the Lord God forced the man out of the garden of Eden. He had to work the ground he was taken from. 24 God forced the man out of the garden. Then God put angels on the east side of the garden. He also put a sword of fire there. It flashed around in every direction. This kept people from getting to the tree of life. The First Family 4Adam had intimate relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. n Eve said, With the Lord s help, I have given birth to a man. 2 After that, Eve gave birth to Cain s brother Abel. Abel took care of sheep. Cain became a farmer. 3Later, Cain brought a gift to God. He brought some food from the ground. 4 Abel brought the best parts of his best sheep. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift. 5 But God did not accept Cain and his gift. Cain became very angry and looked unhappy. 6 The Lord asked Cain, Why are you angry? Why do you look so unhappy? 7 If you do good, I will accept you. But if you do not do good, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you. But you must rule over it. 8Cain said to his brother Abel, Let s go out into the field. So Cain and Abel went into the field. Then Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9Later, the Lord said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? Cain answered, I don t know. Is it my job to take care of my brother? 10 Then the Lord said, What have you done? Your brother s blood is on the ground. That blood is like a voice that tells me what happened. 11And now you will be cursed in your work with the ground. It is the same ground where your brother s blood fell. Your hands killed him. 12 You will Genesis 4:25 7 work the ground. But it will not grow good crops for you anymore. You will wander around on the earth. 13 Then Cain said to the Lord, This punishment is more than I can stand! 14Look! You have forced me to stop working the ground. And now I must hide from you. I will wander around on the earth. And anyone who meets me can kill me. 15 Then the Lord said to Cain, No! If anyone kills you, I will punish that person seven times more. Then the Lord put a mark on Cain. It was a warning to anyone who met him not to kill him. Cain s Family 16 Then Cain went away from the Lord. Cain lived in the land of Nod, n east of Eden. 17 Cain had intimate relations with his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a city. He named it after his son Enoch. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad had a son named Mehujael. Mehujael had a son named Methushael. And Methushael had a son named Lamech. 19Lamech married two women. One wife was named Adah, and the other was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and raise cattle. 21 Jabal s brother was Jubal. Jubal was the first person to play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal- Cain. He made tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal- Cain was Naamah. 23Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice! You wives of Lamech, listen to what I say. I killed a man for wounding me. I killed a young man for hitting me. 24 Cain s killer may be punished 7 times. Then Lamech s killer will be punished 77 times. Adam and Eve Have a New Son 25Adam had intimate relations with his wife Eve again. And she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth. n 4:1 Cain This name sounds like the Hebrew word for I have given birth. 4:16 Nod This name sounds like the Hebrew word for wander. 4:25 Seth This name sounds like the Hebrew word for to give.