God made the heavens and the earth

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