Read an Excerpt
Bedtime Read and Rhyme
Bible Stories
By Bonnie Rickner Jensen, Robert Dunn Thomas Nelson
Copyright © 2016 Thomas Nelson
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7180-8834-7
CHAPTER 1
God's Creation, Our Home
Genesis 1
The earth had no shape, No order or light ... Covered in darkness With no life in sight. Then God, the Creator, Began His great plan — To make it our home, With a mighty command: "Let there be light!" And so it was so! The time had come For nothingness to go.
The light made God happy, But He wasn't done. The light and the darkness Were two things, not one. So dark became night, And light became day. Creation's beginning Was well underway! A sky that was endless And painted true blue Was set above waters Below on day two.
Next came the seas, The grass, and the trees. All this was good, God saw on day three. He scattered the stars, Hung the moon in its place. ("The sun is for you ... Feel the warmth on your face?") God filled up the oceans And decorated the sky, Where the fish now swim And the birds fly high!
Then came the animals, The wild and the tame, To wander the earth And be blessed in His name. They galloped and hopped, Scurried and soared, Chirped and barked, Howled and roared! God looked with a smile At all He had done. Then His heart looked Forward to you, little one.
Adam and Eve Go from Happy to Sad
Genesis 2-3
At last it was time For God's best to begin, Made in His image, As child and friend.
Adam and Eve were Made by God's hand, To live and to rule In this beautiful land
He planted a garden And made it their home A happy and wonderful Place to roam.
Eden was bursting with Every good thing: Animals, flowers, Birds to sing.
The fruit became sweet From the beams of the sun God said, "Eat freely From all trees but one."
Adam and Eve Followed God's simple rule. Together they walked When the day became cool.
One day God came down And called Adam by name. He found that His children Were hiding in shame.
"We feel something's wrong," Adam answered in fear. God knew why His children Were scared to come near.
His enemy, Satan, Had told Eve a lie — Disguised as a snake, He was clever and sly.
"Eat from this tree. It will open your eyes! You'll know good from bad, And like God, you'll be wise."
With one bite they knew That God's warning was true. Not listening to Him Was the worst thing to do.
"You must leave the garden, But I won't leave you. I'll love you and watch Over all that you do."
God's heart was broken To send them away. He knew that their lives Would be harder each day.
Sadly, the snake had Brought more than a lie. The poison of sin Would cause all things to die.
But God's love is bigger — As big as the sky! It wins over death! It squashes the lie!
Love will rise up; This will not be the end. God has a plan That will save us from sin.
The Ark, the Rain, and the Rainbow
Genesis 6-9
God had filled the earth with life, Created out of love. Noah understood that God Was watching from above.
In time God saw His people choose To turn from good to bad. Evil spread throughout the land. God's heart was very sad.
But Noah was a special man Who walked with God each day. So God asked him to build an ark, And he chose to obey.
The ark was long and tall and wide, A mighty ship of wood. Noah listened faithfully And made it as he should.
"I'll bring a flood upon the land!" God said to Noah's heart. "I'll save you and your family too Your faith sets you apart."
"I'll call the creatures, two by two, Each animal and bird. Every creeping, crawling thing Will enter at My word."
The rain came down at God's command For forty days and nights! Many months the great ark sailed With no dry land in sight.
Noah and his family had So many things to do. Imagine taking care of An entire floating zoo!
Finally, the time had come For all the drops to stop. God sent a mighty wind to blow — Out peeked the mountaintops!
Noah held a dove in hand, Releasing it to fly. Soon it brought an olive leaf To prove the earth was dry.
God made a promise He would keep, And with it came a sign: "The rainbow will remind Me Of these words for all of time."
"I'll never flood the earth again, For all I say is true — A rainbow in the clouds will mean I'm faithful, child, to you."
The Proud Tower
Genesis 11
In time the earth was filled with folks. They all had different faces, Different voices, different smiles — But weren't in different places.
One language kept them in one spot, And so they came up with a plot To build and build until they got A tower to the sky!
"We're smart enough! We're strong enough! We have the plans; We have the stuff!" God saw them in their Prideful huff and Came down in a hurry.
"Together they are full of pride. They'll do whatever they decide — Forget they need Me by their side." And so He stopped their plans.
He scattered them From here to there, He gave them speech They couldn't share, He left the tower In midair — reminding them, "You're in My care."
Abram, a Blessed Man of God
God's Plan for Abram
Genesis 12
Long ago And far away, Abram took the Time to pray. God said, "I will Bless your life, But you must leave Now with your wife."
"I'll show you where You need to go, And when you get there, You will know That Canaan is The land for you, And all of your Descendants too."
Abram's life was Greatly blessed, And he found out It's always best To follow what God says to dolt's how you'll know His plan for you!
Starry Night, Promise Bright
Genesis 15, 17
Abram's heart was thankful For the things that God had done. But still, he hoped for children, And he told God, "I have none."
God said, "Abram, go outside, And look up at the sky. See if you can count the stars! Let Me tell you why."
"Your family will be many, Like the stars you see tonight. You'll have a child with your wife When the time is right."
Abram became Abraham, And God said, "You will see! You'll father nations, even kings, If you believe in Me."
God of the Impossible
Genesis 18, 21
Abraham believed God's promise — He would have a son! But Sarah laughed And thought, I don't know how It can be done.
You see, she knew their Time had passed To have a baby boy. It would take a miracle For them to feel that joy!
But our God has no limits. He'll do what can't be done! Abraham and Sarah finally Welcomed their own son.
Isaac means "he laughed," And laughter Comes with joy! God had kept His Promise with this Brand-new baby boy.
A Special Bride for Isaac
Genesis 24
Abraham taught Isaac Of God's faithfulness And truth. Isaac's life was blessed And favored, Even in his youth!
Isaac grew into a man, And so the time Had come; Abraham told His servant, "You must find the one."
"Someone from my Homeland will be Isaac's chosen bride. I'll pray God sends An angel first, To help you to decide!"
The servant left And then he prayed, May this be What You do: Let the right girl Offer water For my camels too.
A kind girl named Rebekah Came to share Her water jar. "I'll bring some For your camels too" (For they had traveled far).
Rebekah let the Camels drink Until they all were done. The servant's heart Was happy now — He knew she was the one!
Jacob Dreams of a Ladder
Genesis 28
Isaac prayed God Would give them a son. He did, and Rebekah Had two boys, not one! Jacob and Esau, Different as can be, Grew up together. But Jacob would flee.
He traveled as far As he could for the day. Nighttime had come, So there he would stay. I wonder ... is your Pillow soft for your head? Jacob laid his On a stone instead!
During his sleep, God gave him a dream, A ladder as tall As the tallest sunbeam. It sat on the earth And reached to the sky. The angels walked on it, It stood so high!
Jacob awoke from his dream With a start. He knew God was speaking A word to his heart. "I'm with you right now And wherever you go. This land will be yours, And your family will grow!"
The news put a smile On Jacob's face.
He said, "I know God Is here in this place!" He took the stone (His pillow that night) And stood it up To mark the site.
Then Jacob poured oil On top of the stone And said, "God lives here! Let this be known!" He learned God is good, And He's good to you too! Wherever you go And whatever you do.
Joseph 's Journey from Slave to Ruler
Genesis 37-45
In time, Jacob had Twelve strapping sons! In his old age came His favorite one. His name was Joseph, And as he grew, His brothers would Hate him because they knew ...
Jacob showed favor To Joseph each day. He made him a coat — A colorful display! His brothers were mad And began to say, "We'd like our young Brother to go away."
To make things worse, Joseph shared his dream ... "One day you'll bow down To me, it would seem." Now more than ever They wanted him gone. Their anger would lead them To do something wrong.
Joseph was sent to His brothers one day. His father said, "Go and Make sure they're okay." Joseph said yes And obeyed as he should. Soon he would know He was leaving for good.
His brothers were watching The sheep as they ate. They saw Joseph coming And filled up with hate. They tore off his colorful Coat right away, Then threw him down into A well, where he'd stay.
While they were eating, Some traders passed by. "Let's sell our young Brother, and tell him good-bye!" And so, Joseph went from A son to a slave, But God would go with him And help him be brave.
Joseph worked hard And his master could see, Wherever he was God's blessing would be!
And so he made Joseph His head of household. Then Joseph was blamed For a lie that was told.
He didn't do wrong, But to prison he went! Then men came to ask About dreams that God sent.
One night the great pharaoh Woke up from a dream Of fat cows and skinny cows. What did it mean?
He called for Joseph, Who knew what to say — Then Joseph was let out Of prison that day!
The dreams God sent Pharaoh Meant hard times would come ... Seven years of food, Then seven years of none!
Joseph became ruler, Just as God planned, Then stored lots of food For people in his land.
His brothers came to Egypt, For they were hungry too. Joseph knew them right away And told them, "I forgive you."
Joseph had God's love inside; It showed him how to be. When you are kind to others, God's love is what they see!
Moses Leads God's People
A Mommy Saves Her Son
Exodus 1-2
God told Jacob His family would grow. And wow — it grew and grew! The pharaoh in Egypt Was scared of God's people. He thought of a bad thing to do.
"When a Hebrew boy is born, Do not let him live. I am the leader! I am the boss! This is the order I give."
When Moses was born, His mommy created A basket to be like a boat. She put Moses inside (A good place to hide), And then she set it afloat
His sister watched And saw that the basket Was not in the river For long. Pharaoh's daughter Saw Moses and thought, With me is where you belong.
Pharaoh's daughter Saw Moses crying, And this is what she knew: Sending his sister To find him a nurse Is what she had to do.
That nurse was his mommy! But no one else knew. In her care, he grew and grew. She felt that God had a Greater plan-something Special for Moses to do.
When he was older, she Told Pharaoh's daughter, "Now he must stay with you." She kissed him good-bye And prayed to God, I'm trusting my son to You.
"Let My People Go!"
Exodus 1, 3-14
Moses grew into a big, strong man And saw that God's people were sad. When Moses took time to help a slave, Pharaoh was very mad!
Pharaoh decided that Moses should die, So Moses ran away. He went to a place where he felt safe, And that's where he chose to stay.
One day, when Moses was in the desert, He saw a bush filled with flames. The fire was burning, red and hot, But the bush was staying the same!
God's voice thundered from inside the bush, "It's time for Pharaoh to know. Go back to Egypt and say to him, 'Let My people go!'"
Moses went to Egypt, Like God told him to do. But Pharaoh's ears refused to hear That God was strong or true.
Our God is real and cannot lie, So He told Moses to reply: "Pharaoh, let My people go! Or I'll do things to let you know That I am God, and I am here. I'll make My presence very clear!"
Sadly, Pharaoh's heart was cold, And he kept saying, "No, no, no!" So God sent frogs and bugs and hail Till all the land began to wail.
Then Pharaoh saw that God's might Was something that He couldn't fight. He said to Moses, "Set them free! Take God's people far from me!"
The Israelites Marched out of sight, Through the day And through the night. God would guide them With His love And send a cloud From up above.
The cloud was shade From desert sun, Then turned to fire When day was done. The people knew That God was there, And they felt safe now, In His care.
But when they reached The great Red Sea, Their hearts were Filled with fear. Pharaoh had come After them, And he was very near!
But God is good, And God is true. He split the water Right in two! They learned how God can make a way. His love can always Save the day!
Bread from Heaven and God's Good Rules
Exodus 16, 20
God's people were happy. They sang and cheered! They knew God had saved them From all they feared.
But in time they grew hungry And grumbly, and so ... They went to Moses To let him know.
God told Moses, "I'll rain down bread! Obey Me and trust Me. I'll keep you fed!"
God filled their tummies Day after day. Do you thank Him for food When you pray?
God loves His people With all of His heart. He loves to protect Them too. So He said to Moses, "I'll come to Mount Sinai, To give My rules to you."
The Ten Commandments He gave for our good — They help us live The way we should! Love God And worship Him alone. Use His name In a loving tone.
Make the Lord's day Special to you. Honor your parents In all you do. Do not lie, steal, or kill. If you marry, Your promise, fulfill. When others are blessed, Be happy inside! Thank You, God. Your love is our guide!
Joshua Marches Through Jericho
Joshua 5-6
The Israelites were almost there, Where God told them they'd be. It was Joshua's time to lead — Brave and strong was he!
The land that God had promised them Was such a wonderful place. But standing right before them Was a city they must face.
Jericho was locked up tight. No one could come or go! With walls so thick, strong, and tall, Joshua needed to know:
"How will we do this? How will we win? How, with these walls, Will we ever get in?"
So God sent an angel With a sword in hand. "The city is yours, Joshua, Just as God planned."
What God said to do Might sound silly to you, But Joshua was ready to hear. He listened to God With his brave, strong heart, Obeying without any fear.
"March once 'round the city Six days in a row. On the seventh day, Seven times you'll go. Then tell My people To let out a shout! The bricks will tumble! The walls will give out!"
"You'll march right through The city that day — Right foot, left foot, On your way! Around the desert You'll no longer roam. Finally, My children, You'll have your new home."
God Chooses Gideon
Judges 6-7
God's people needed help again — That's when God called Gideon. He said, "Oh Lord, my clan is weak, And I'm the least of all. But if You say You're with me, I will answer this great call!"
God said, "I'll be with you, And we will win this fight. My people will be sure it's Melt It won't be by your might!"
Gideon's army, Small and weak, Didn't run and hide. They won their land From a great big army. God was on their side!
If ever you were thinking God will choose only the best— The ones who are much Stronger or much greater Than the rest . . . This story about Gideon Must be a big surprise! God will choose What's right for you— He is very wise!
Ruth and Naomi's New Start
Ruth 1-4
God gives us friends Who are special and true. Sometimes our best friends Are family too!
Naomi was happy With who God would send: Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, Was a very good friend.
Naomi had lost Her husband and sons. Sadly, she felt that Her good days were done.
But Ruth told Naomi, "I'll never leave you. I'll go where you go, And I'll always be true."
They traveled together To Bethlehem, Where a man named Boaz took them in.
Boaz and Ruth Became man and wife. Both were good people, And God blessed their life.
In time God would give them A son of their own. Naomi knew this was How God's love was shown.
She held baby Obed With joy in her heart. She thanked God for giving Them all a new start!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Bedtime Read and Rhyme by Bonnie Rickner Jensen, Robert Dunn. Copyright © 2016 Thomas Nelson. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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