God is “the Maker of Heaven and Earth”
Genesis 1 teaches that God created the universe. Life didn’t “just happen” as molecules bumped into each other. How do you know? Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:18–20 suggest that you look around. If you saw a shiny new Mustang in a junkyard, would you think it “evolved” from the junkyard parts? The universe is thousands of times more complex than a Mustang. It didn’t “just happen.” God designed this world—all of it:
• God created the universe from nothing. (Psalm 33:6, 8–9)
• Creation reminds you of the greatness of your God. (Isaiah 40:26, 28)
• You accept the evidence that God created the universe by faith. (Hebrews 11:3)
Isn’t it great to know that the heavenly Father who loves you is the all-powerful Creator of the universe?
Sometimes you don’t feel very special. You say something stupid in class. You look in the mirror and see a giant zit on your face. You? Special? You bet! You’re a human being, totally special to God. When God made animals he simply spoke them into existence. But when he made Adam, God personally fashioned Adam’s body from clay and then breathed the gift of life into him, a human being made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). Oh, you’ll get zits. And maybe you’ll say a stupid thing or two. But don’t let things like that rob you of feeling special, because you are.
Why is resisting temptation so hard? I have no one to talk to about this. Please help me.
David
Dear David,
Resisting temptation can be very difficult. It has been since Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. This is where we first find Satan’s strategies to tempt people.
Read Genesis 3:1–6. Satan begins to raise doubts about God’s Word. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? . . . You will not certainly die.” Then the serpent tells Eve, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Adam and Eve had a huge garden to enjoy. God told them not to eat the fruit of only one tree. But instead of focusing on all God had given them to enjoy, Satan focused on the one forbidden thing. He wanted Eve to believe God was keeping the best from her. Satan wants us to doubt God’s motives and to see him as having too many rules. Eve looked at the beautiful fruit. She wanted it. She took it and ate it.
Teens have so many things the world says are wonderful to try. Alcohol, sex, drugs . . . Satan wants you to believe these are good for you. But God tells you the truth. They’re not. Alcohol and drugs cause you to make bad choices. And sex is God’s amazing gift to married people. This gift is spoiled when it is abused.
Temptation is difficult because the urge comes from within us. But making good choices about what you drink, where you go and who you hang out with will help you resist falling into terrible traps.
Jordan
Adam and Eve felt scared and guilty when God confronted them after they ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1–13). They probably felt a little like you do when your mom or dad says, “Hey, why are you kids fighting?” Or when one of your friends says, “Why did you tell Sarah?” Adam and Eve acted like people do today. When confronted with his sin, Adam blamed Eve. And Eve in turn blamed the serpent. Sound familiar? Sort of like, “Mom, he started it.” Or, “Dad, it’s not my fault.” But try to remember, you’re responsible for your choices. And, as Adam and Eve found out, the consequences of bad choices can hurt.
Q: How long would a person have to tread water to survive the flood?
BONUS: What happened to all that water?
God made Abraham several promises in Genesis 12:2–3, and he has kept every one!
• Abraham’s descendants, the Jews, are still a distinct and numerous people today.
• Abraham was wealthy and protected by the Lord throughout his long life.
• Even after 4,000 years, three world religions—Christianity, Judaism and Islam—honor Abraham.
• The Hitlers of history who have tried to destroy the Jews have been destroyed themselves.
• Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, brings salvation to all who will believe.
God’s Word is full of his promises to you—and you can count on him to keep every one.
Do you ever feel like running away? Maybe your brothers and sisters bug you. Mom doesn’t understand. Dad yells at you. Things are so bad at home you can’t get your schoolwork done, and your grades have dropped so low you are afraid you might fail. But is running away the only option? In this Bible story, Hagar was so hurt by Abram’s jealous wife Sarah that she ran away. But God’s angel told Hagar to go back and submit. The angel added, “I will increase your descendants” (Genesis 16:10). Running away when things are tough may seem like the only way out. But usually it’s hanging in there that leads to God’s blessing.
Do you ever worry that God might be upset when you keep on asking for something? Abraham felt the same way. He said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more” (Genesis 18:32). God wasn’t angry at all. For one thing, Abraham was asking God to be merciful. Abraham asked God to spare Sodom for the sake of ten righteous people. God could find only one: Lot. So he made sure Lot and his family escaped before fire destroyed the wicked city. If you know that what you’re praying for honors God and is the kind of thing he wants to do, you don’t need to be anxious. Your prayers are pleasing to the Lord.
Moving away and going to a new school can be pretty scary. Abraham was afraid when he moved to a new area of what we now call the Holy Land. He was so afraid that he asked his wife Sarah to lie for him. That lie got him into all sorts of trouble. Abraham was afraid of the strangers because they didn’t know God. But he forgot that God knew them! If you find yourself in places where people don’t know God or don’t live godly lives, remember that God is there already. Read this story, and remember that wherever you go, God goes too.
Probably nothing hurts as much as rejection. Sometimes kids of divorced parents feel like their parents divorced them instead of each other. And sometimes a child actually is rejected or abandoned. Abraham didn’t want to send Hagar or Ishmael away, but God told him to do what Sarah insisted. It hurt Abraham to be separated from his son. It also hurt Ishmael, who was a teenager. But God spoke to each of them to make the hurt easier to bear. At times you will feel rejected by someone you love. When that happens, try to remember this story. Whatever happens, God will be at your side.
Faith is doing right even when you don’t know how God is going to work things out. Abraham had that kind of faith. God promised Abraham that his descendants would come through Isaac. But when God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham didn’t hesitate. Abraham was sure that God would keep his promises even though he didn’t know how God could if Isaac were dead. That’s the kind of faith that will give you the courage to always do what’s right. You don’t have to know how God will work things out. You only need to know that, if you obey, God will keep his promises.
Choosing the person you will marry is serious business. A good choice will bring you a happy, rewarding life. A poor choice can make you miserable. That’s why it’s important to involve God in your dating life even when you’re young. You’re probably not planning to get married yet. Dating is a time for fun and for getting to know lots of kids of the opposite sex. But it’s also a time when you develop attitudes that will shape your choice of a mate. Genesis 24 teaches that God will lead you if you ask his help in choosing a mate.
Picture Esau, hungry after being out hunting. His brother Jacob held out a pot of stew and offered a trade: a bowlful for a birthright. As the oldest son, Esau had the right to inherit his father Isaac’s possessions as well as God’s promises to his grandfather Abraham. Esau looked at that stew and, without giving a second thought to God, told Jacob to take the birthright because he was famished! Foolish? You bet. Just as foolish as the choices some teens and adults make today, trading away their tomorrow for the thrills of today.
Are you envious of that guy in the next row? You know, the one with all the answers written on his hand? He got an A on the last test! But before you decide cheating pays off, check what happened when Jacob cheated his brother Esau out of their father’s blessing. In Old Testament times a father’s “blessing” was both a will and a prophecy. It guaranteed the success of the son who received it. And Jacob got that blessing—by cheating. But read verse 41 and you’ll see that Jacob got more than he bargained for. Sure, some people cheat and get away with it, but usually cheating brings more negative results than you expect.
Jacob had four wives (Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah). Why shouldn’t people today have more than one spouse?
Bear in mind that the historical books of the Bible report that what happened in history didn’t always go according to what God had in mind for his creation.
Jesus taught that God’s best is for “the two” to “become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5). God wants one man and one woman to love each other completely and to grow closer through the years.
If you think it would be fun to have more than one husband or wife, read Jacob’s story closely (Genesis 29:30–30:24). You’ll find that there was more competition than love going on.
God’s ideal of a lifetime marriage between one man and one woman is best. Choose your future husband or wife wisely. If you do, you’ll find more happiness with one person than with any number of marriage partners.
Q: What did Rachel take from her father when the family left town?
BONUS: Why did she take these particular things?
When is the last time you were terrified enough to pray hard? How did you pray? Jacob was terrified when returning to his home in Canaan. He had cheated his brother Esau 20 years before, and Esau had sworn to kill him. Would Esau still be angry? Here’s how Jacob prayed when he was afraid: Jacob reminded God that he was being obedient (Genesis 32:9). Jacob remembered all the good things God had done for him (Genesis 32:10). Jacob begged God to save him (Genesis 32:11). Jacob quoted God’s promises (Genesis 32:12). What a model for your prayers when you’re anxious or afraid.
I’m the older of two boys. My parents favor me. I used to think it was funny, but now I feel bad for my younger brother. He’s having problems and I want to be there for him. What can I do?
Jacob
Dear Jacob,
You are showing wisdom about this situation and compassion for your brother. Many parents show favoritism and it can be very damaging for the whole family. Joseph’s father favored him over all his other sons, though Joseph wasn’t the oldest.
His brothers sold him and told their father he had been killed. This broke their father’s heart and made them feel guilty. Favoritism led to jealousy, and the jealousy of his brothers caused many difficult years for Joseph. This story appears in Genesis 37.
It’s important for you to let your brother know you love him. Maybe you could have a talk with one or both of your parents to gently share your concerns. They may not even be aware that they treat your brother differently. Your attitude toward your brother can make a big difference in his life as well as in the lives of your family.
Jordan
Have you ever noticed that our society seems infatuated with sex? Advertisers sell everything from toothpaste to tires by appealing to society’s obsession with sex. The story of Joseph can teach you two things about sex. First, the pressure to have sex before marriage isn’t new. And second, you don’t have to give in to the pressure. Joseph didn’t. He refused to “do such a wicked thing and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9). That decision cost him a lot: his job and his freedom. But he was brave enough to handle it. Are you?
School bore you to death? Mom and Dad treat you like a child? Your big brothers or friends are driving cars, and you’re stuck with a bike? Life is passing you by, and you’re stuck forever in the slow lane? Joseph probably felt the same way. He was sold into slavery as a young teen and jailed unfairly in his early twenties. Life was passing him by too, but he stuck it out and did his best. Genesis 41:46 says that at age 30 “he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt” to become that country’s second most powerful man. Age 30 may seem like forever away, but doing your best in little things is the way God prepares you for great things.
Participants at one church camp asked these questions about their brothers and sisters: “Why are they so mean?” “How can we keep from fighting?” Joseph knew all about that. His brothers sold him into slavery, and in all the years that followed, the brothers probably never tried to find Joseph or help him. But this chapter reminds you of something important: people can change. Years later in Egypt the very brother who suggested Joseph be sold as a slave was willing to give up his own freedom to protect his youngest brother. So don’t give up. There really is hope for your siblings. And for you!
She ate my whole box of candy. So I’m taking her makeup!” It’s not that you want the makeup. It’s just that you’re angry and you want revenge. After all, she did you wrong. You have a right to be upset. If anyone had a right to hold a grudge, it was Joseph. His own brothers sold him into slavery. Years later, when his brothers were starving, Joseph ruled Egypt, the only country that had food. What a chance to get revenge! But Joseph chose a better way. He threw his arms around his brothers and promised them the best of Egypt. When someone hurts you, try reacting like Joseph. Don’t get even. Do good to them instead.
Q: How was Jacob prepared for burial?
BONUS: Why did the Egyptians use this method?
Genesis
Beginnings.
The word “Genesis” means “beginnings.” It answers some of life’s biggest questions. God truly cares about the people he created.