Children of God Storybook Bible. Archbishop Tutu Desmond
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for so many years they grew too old to have babies.
One night God said, ‘I am giving this land to you and your children and your children’s children.’
‘God, you must be joking! Sarah and I are too old to have children!’ Abraham said, stroking his long white beard.
‘Trust me, my child,’ God replied, ‘look at the stars in the sky. Your children and your children’s children will be as many as those stars.’
Abraham thought, How can that be? But then he remembered that God always keeps his promises. And so Abraham trusted God.
Then God smiled and said, ‘I will bless you and your children so you can be a blessing to all the people of the world.’
Dear God,
help me to be a blessing to others.
God’s promise of a baby comes true
One long, hot day, Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent. Three strangers appeared, and Abraham ran to greet them. ‘Please come and rest,’ he said. ‘Here is cool water to wash your feet. I will bring food so you can eat.’
Sarah baked bread with her best flour, and Abraham prepared a young calf for a feast. When the food was ready, he served the strangers himself.
The visitors were pleased with how kind and generous Abraham was.
‘We are angels sent by God,’ the visitors said. ‘When we return, Sarah will have a son.’
Sarah was listening from the tent and chuckled. ‘I am too old to have a baby.’ The angel said, ‘Nothing is too hard or too wonderful for God.’
And, just as promised, Sarah gave birth to a baby boy. She said, ‘God has given me a child to bring laughter into my heart.’
Abraham and Sarah thanked God and named their son Isaac, which means ‘laughter.’
Dear God,
help me to trust your promises.
God speaks to Jacob
Isaac grew up healthy and strong and had two sons, Esau and Jacob. One day the brothers fought, and Jacob became scared of his big brother. He ran into the desert to hide. When it was dark, Jacob rested his head on a large, smooth stone and tried to sleep.
For a long time Jacob stared up at the distant stars. Jacob felt far away from his family, and so very alone. Finally he fell into a restless sleep.
He dreamed of a staircase reaching to the sky with angels going up and down. In the dream, God stood beside him and said, ‘I made a promise to your forefathers, Abraham and Isaac, and I will keep that promise to you. I will be with you, and I will protect you, and I will keep you safe.’
Jacob woke up. He was amazed by the dream. ‘God is in this place, and I did not know it!’
So he took the stone he had rested on, stood it up, and poured oil on it to bless it. He said, ‘This is the house of God and the gate to heaven.’ He called that place Bethel, which means ‘house of God’, and he promised to remember God everywhere he went.
Dear God,
help me to see that the whole world is your home.
God has a plan for Joseph
Daddy’s favourite!’ Joseph’s brothers sneered.
Jacob had twelve sons, but Joseph really was his favourite. Jacob even made him a special coat of many colours, which Joseph liked to show off.
Joseph told his brothers, ‘Last night I dreamed that you would all bow down to me.’ That’s when his brothers’ jealousy turned to hatred.
One day Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers, who were tending the sheep and goats.
When they saw him coming they said to each other, ‘Let us kill this dreamer.’
Reuben, the eldest, said, ‘No, he is our brother.’
But the others grabbed him, ripped off his coat, dipped it in blood, and took it to their father, Jacob. ‘A wild animal killed your son,’ they told him. Jacob was heartbroken and tore his clothes, and cried for many days.
But they hadn’t really killed Joseph. They had sold him to strangers who took him to be a slave in a faraway land called Egypt. Joseph was scared and did not understand why this was happening, but God was with Joseph and had a special plan for his life.
Dear God,
help me love my brothers and sisters.
God finds good in all things
Joseph trembled in front of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
‘Last night I had a strange dream,’ Pharaoh said. ‘I summoned you because I hear you understand the language of dreams.’
‘It is not I but God who will reveal the meaning of your dream,’ Joseph said.
‘Seven fat cows came out of the river, followed by seven thin cows,’ Pharaoh said. ‘And then the thin ones ate up the fat ones!’
‘For seven years there will be plenty,’ Joseph explained, ‘and then for seven years not a drop of rain will fall, and there will be no food to eat. If you store grain now, there will be enough when the drought comes.’
Pharaoh saw that Joseph was wise and made him governor of Egypt. After seven years, just as Joseph had said, there came a terrible drought.
Joseph’s brothers came to beg for food and bowed down before the mighty governor. When they realized it was Joseph, they trembled, afraid that he would punish them. But Joseph’s love for his family was stronger than his anger. Joseph threw his arms around his brothers and kissed them.
He said, ‘What you intended for harm, God intended for good. God has used us to save the world from hunger. Bring our family to live in Egypt so they will be safe.’
Dear God,
let my love be stronger than my anger.
God protects his children