And God looked at all that he had made, and he saw that it was good.
"And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day."
On the fifth day God said, "Let there be swimming things in the oceans and lakes, and birds in the air!" And the oceans were filled with hammerhead sharks and dolphins and whales. And in the sky there were robins and eagles, blue jays, cardinals and yellow bellied sapsuckers. Until then the earth must have been a very quiet place. But not any more!
And God looked at all that he had made, and it was wonderfully good.
"And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day."
The sixth day was ready to begin. God said, "Let there be animals upon the earth of every kind!" God made giraffes, and zebras, and lions and tigers and bears. He made moose with great big antlers, and little gophers and chipmunks and squirrels. He made monkeys swinging through the trees and giant gorillas sitting in the forests eating bananas. He made huge elephants, and he made hippopotamuses rolling around in the mud. How did God think of all those things?!
What a great imagination God has!
Then God said, "Let us make people in our own image" (God said, "us" because God the Father was there, and so was Jesus, and so was the Holy Spirit - but still he was just one God). So God made people in his own image.
When you look at yourself in a mirror, you see an image of yourself. You see a reflection of what you are like. God made us in his image. We are a reflection of what God is like. When God sees us, he sees a reflection of himself.
You are the image of God. Always remember that.
And God said, "Let people have dominion over the fish in the sea, and the birds in the air, over every animal the walks on the earth and every creeping thing that creep along the ground." So God put people above every fish, bird or animal he made.
And God said, "Go, have children and fill the earth!"
And so God looked at all that he had made, and he saw that it was good.
God saw that it was not just good, it was very good!
"And there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day."
On the morning of the seventh day God saw that his work was finished. Nothing else needed to be made.
And so God rested on the seventh day. Not that God was tired! His work of creation was done - now it was time to take his place as ruler over all that he had made.
God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.
What does that mean?
When something is "holy," that means that it is special. It belongs to God. When God made the seventh day holy, he made it his day. It belongs to him. He made the seventh day a special day, different from all the rest.
God rested from his work on the seventh day and enjoyed all that he had made. That is what God wants us to do too. On the seventh day of every week, God wants us to rest and enjoy all that he has made. That way we will always remember that all good things come from God.
God made everything there is, and he made it to be good. Always remember that.
God is so wonderful!
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