Chapter One
Week 1, Monday
BOOK OF GENESIS
Genny the
Jellyfish
Jellyfish sounds likeGenesis. A jellyfish is
clear, just like everything God created in the beginning. When you see Genny
the Jellyfish in a picture, you'll know the daily devo is from Genesis. Connected to
Genny are number symbols. They make the chapter location of the
devo click and stick.
Genesis is a book about beginnings. At first everything was perfect and out in
the open. There was no sin to cover up. Everything was pure and clear, like a
see-through jellyfish floating in crystal blue water. But it didn't stay that way. Adam and
his madam, Eve, disobeyed God, and their sin muddied the water for all of us. Things
have been cloudy ever since. One day God's Son, Jesus, will return. Then God will
create a new earth, and we'll get back to clear blue see-through everything.
MAKE IT STICK
To make a tab for the book of Genesis in
your Bible, tear off a sheet from a self-stick
notepad. Cut a strip about one-half inch deep.
At the sticky end, print Genny the Jellyfish.
At the non-sticky end, draw a tiny jellyfish.
(Or find a picture that you can make smaller
on a copier and paste it to the tab.) Stick
your tab on the upper right corner of the
page in your Bible where Genesis begins.
Whenever you see a jellyfish or think
about one, remember Genny the Jellyfish
and the book of Genesis.
JUST FOR FUN
To learn about the two children
born in the Garden of Eden,
find Genesis, Chapter 4, in your
Bible. You can read verses 3-16 to
learn about the first family. Who
disobeyed God? What happened
then?
PRAYER
Dear God, I'm glad there was no
sin in the beginning. And I'm
glad there will be no sin when
Jesus returns. But I'm sorry that
sin even came into the world at
all. Help me not to cover up my
sins. Please forgive me for __.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Week 1, Tuesday
GENESIS, CHAPTER 1 (VERSE 1)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
DAILY DEVO
In the beginning, God's call got the ball rolling.
Did you know that a very long time ago nothing was around except God? Then, when
God decided the time was just right, he created everything. God made the sun, the
moon, and the stars. He made the little ball we live on called Planet Earth. He made
every living thing on Earth. He also created the sky above and the oceans below. God
made the call to create every fish, bird, and animal. And when it was time to make
people, God made that call too. None of this was an accident. In the big beginning,
only God was big enough to make the call that got the ball rolling. And he's the only
one big and powerful enough to keep it going, day after day.
MAKE IT STICK
Roll a ball across your kitchen floor or somewhere outdoors. Then ask yourself, Who made the call to get that ball rolling? Obviously, you made the decision to
roll it. In the same way, God made the decision to create the universe and set it in
motion. Your made-from-something ball stopped, but God's made-from-nothing
"Earth-ball" just keeps rolling and rolling. Isn't God great?
PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for getting
the ball rolling when you created
the world. And thanks for
keeping it rolling day after day
and season after season. In Jesus'
name, amen.
CLICK-ER: BALL
Whenever you see, play with,
or think about a ball, let this
picture roll through your mind
as the daily devo clicks and
sticks. Genny the Jellyfish with
her one-on-a-bun will remind
you that the devo is from
Genesis, Chapter 1.
Week 1, Wednesday
GENESIS, CHAPTER 1 (VERSE 27)
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created
them; male and female he created them.
DAILY DEVO
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, God's image
is in us all.
A mirror on its own is just a piece of glass with a special coating. What makes
a mirror really special is the way it shows the figure or image in front of it. You
probably used a mirror this morning to get ready for the day. Maybe you brushed
your hair and made sure your clothes were on just right. Your mirror's job was to
show or reflect your image. When God made people, he gave us the job of reflecting
his image like a mirror. That's extra special, isn't it? Everyone-including you-has
God's image inside. You reflect what God is like just as your mirror reflects how
you look!
MAKE IT STICK
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
God's image is in us all.
Are you able to read the words above? Probably not! To see clearly what the words
say, hold them up to a mirror. Then you'll be able to read and understand them.
When we are kind and forgiving, we allow God's love to be "reflected" off our life like
a mirror reflects the way we look. Then everyone can understand God better.
PRAYER
Dear God, please help me to be
more like you. I want people to
see what you are like when they
look at what I do and say each
day. In Jesus' name, amen.
CLICK-ER: MIRROR
Whenever you see, use, or think
about a mirror, let your mind
reflect on this picture as the daily
devo clicks and sticks. Genny the
Jellyfish holding a one-on-a-bun
will remind you that the devo is
from Genesis, Chapter 1.
Week 1, Thursday
GENESIS, CHAPTER 3 (VERSE 1)
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made.
One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit
from any of the trees in the garden?"
DAILY DEVO
I make a mistake when I listen to
the snake.
Satan is tricky and speaks through whatever gets our attention. The Bible says
that in the beginning, snakes didn't have to crawl on the ground. They were very
smart and very clever. So Satan used a snake to sneak up on Eve and ask: "Did God
really say that?" Whenever any voice tells us not to believe God's words in the Bible,
remember that the devil is behind it-coiled and hissing at us like a snake. Don't
listen. Don't even get close! Call out to God for help to understand Satan's tricks.
And be ready to go the other way.
MAKE IT STICK
Coil an old shoelace on a table. Pretend that the plastic tip is the head of a snake.
While holding the tip between two fingers, remember a way Satan has tried to
trick you. (Has he ever said it was okay to steal? Or to be unkind?) As soon as you
remember Satan's lie, say: "I make a mistake when I listen to the snake." Then sweep
the pretend snake off the table and step on it. That's a picture of God's promise in
Romans 16:20 to "crush Satan under your feet."
PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for helping
me listen to your words in the
Bible so I won't believe anything
Satan tries to tell me. In Jesus'
name I pray. Amen.
CLICK-ER: SNAKE
Whenever you see, touch, or
think about a snake, let this
picture slither through your
mind as the daily devo clicks
and sticks. Genny the Jellyfish
with a three-is-the-key is a
reminder that the devo is from
Genesis, Chapter 3.
Week 1, Friday
GENESIS, CHAPTER 7 (VERSE 18)
As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely
on the surface.
DAILY DEVO
God is the lifeboat that keeps me afloat.
Genesis 6:5 says that in Noah's time people's thoughts were "consistently and totally
evil." Noah was the only person who always tried to please God and do exactly
what God asked. God trusted Noah, so God told him to build a big boat that would
float way above the Flood that was going to cover everything. Noah obeyed. God's
directions became the lifeboat that kept Noah and his family alive. God is still in
the lifeboat business today. He's always looking for someone who will climb aboard
and get involved in his big plan for the world. And he'll be there to help in time of
trouble. He wants to float your boat. Will you let him?
MAKE IT STICK
Form a piece of aluminum foil into the shape of a boat. Then watch it float in a pool,
a bucket of water, or a bathtub. It floats because it has sides that keep the water
out. Now flatten the sides and see what happens. It sinks! When we don't obey God,
it's like taking away the sides of our boat. But when we obey God, he becomes the
boat that keeps us afloat.
PRAYER
Dear God, sometimes my
problems seem so big that I feel
like I'm going to sink. But when
I obey you, Lord, you keep my
life afloat. Thank you! Amen.
CLICK-ER: BOAT
Whenever you see, ride in, or
think about a boat, let this
picture float through your mind
as the daily devo clicks and sticks.
Genny the Jellyfish holding a
highway-seven-to-heaven sign
reminds you that the devo is from
Genesis, Chapter 7.
Week 1, Saturday/Sunday
GENESIS, CHAPTER 9 (VERSES 13, 16)
I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you
and with all the earth When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember
the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.
DAILY DEVO
God's rainbow is the seal of his special deal.
The Flood may have been the first rain anybody ever saw. And what a rain it was!
Can you imagine 40 days and 40 nights of nonstop rain? When Noah and his family
finally got their feet back on the ground, they probably hoped there would never
be another storm like that! Well, God promised he would never again send a flood
to destroy all living things. And God sent a rainbow as a sign that his promise is
real. He gave Noah and his family-and us-a permanent deal and sealed it with
a rainbow.
MAKE IT STICK
Color a rainbow, cut it out, and punch a hole near one end. Tie a string to the hole.
Punch another hole at the top of a paper circle (the seal) on which you've written
"His Special Deal." Tie the other end of the string to that paper. Then punch a hole
through the top center of the rainbow and put another string through it. You can
hang your rainbow from a kitchen cabinet. As you reach for a glass to get a drink
of water, let the rainbow remind you of God's promise.
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for beautiful
rainbows. Every time I see one
in the sky, I'll remember that
you always keep your promises.
Amen.
CLICK-ER: RAINBOW
Whenever you see or think about
a rainbow (paper or real), let
this picture flood your heart as
the daily devo clicks and sticks.
Genny the Jellyfish on a
nine-foot-pine reminds you that the
devo is from Genesis, Chapter 9.
WEEKEND ACTIVITY IDEAS
(1) Highlight the verses for Week 1 in your Bible. (2) Find Genny the Jellyfish in
each picture for this week and identify the chapter-number symbols. (3) Start a
collection of Click-ers-real items or pictures of them. (4) Say the daily devos for
Week 1. (5) Check out Saturday/Sunday of Week 3 for a related devo on being in
the crowd that follows God's cloud.
Fun FACTS
WATER, WATER, WATER
The jellyfish is 99 percent water and so clear that
the organs inside it can easily be seen.
(Continues.)
