Joanna Rivard - The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible

Grace, Oliver, Isaac, Jesse, and Clarabel
With so much loveJo

Eli, Avery, Mahli, Mikayla, and Rylee
Five of my favorite peopleLove Tim

With Special Thanks ...

for the creativity, insight, expertise, patience,
and love of our amazing families and friends
who enthusiastically and generously helped
in every possible way.

INTRODUCTION

You might already know some of the stories in the Bible.
But did you know that the Bible is actually one (VERY) big
story?

In fact, its the biggest, most important story in the whole
world!

Of course, when you look inside youll find lots of little
storiesstories about stars and storms, dangerous
journeys and surprising rescues. Youll find stories about
wise queens, disobedient kings, and brave shepherds.

And one VERY important shepherd-king.

Youll meet people who do incredible things and some
who make terrible mistakes, because the Bible is also
about second chances and being forgiven.

But all of these little stories together tell one big story
the story of Gods GREAT love for his children.

And because God made you, this is your story too. Its the
true story of who you are and what you were made for.

This is where it all starts. The VERY beginning.

At the beginning of everything there was nothing.

Except God.

And God was full of love, full of joy, bursting with
happiness and excitement and life.

In fact, there was so much love and joy in God that
he wanted to share it.

So God spoke into the nothingness, and something
amazing happened.

Lets start with some light!
God said. And light appeared.

Sky goes up here, he said,
and oceans below.

God pulled land up from the
water to make tall mountains
and deep valleys. And he
covered them with plants
and trees.

You are the sun, he said to a
big light, placing it in the sky.
Youll light the day.

You are the moon, he said to
a smaller light. Youll be our
night-light.

Oh, and stars too! he said,
and threw tiny lights across
the dark sky.

God smiled.

Beautiful! he said.

And it was.

He filled the air with singing,
flapping birds and all sorts of
things that fly.

He filled the seas with
splashing, leaping fish and all
sorts of things that swim.

Now, for the best part of all, said God. And he made a
man and a woman to live with him in his perfect, beautiful
world. They would be hismade to love him and be loved
by him forever.

You are my children, he said. And this is ALL for you.

Then God stopped to look at everything he had made.

It was SO good. He smiled again, and then he rested.

The great story had begun!

God had made a wonderful garden for Adam
and Eve, and in it they were wonderfully happy.
It was the home they were made for, and they
had everything they needed.

And God was with them in the garden.

Gods garden was full of life. From the beautiful
flowers to the towering trees, it was all theirs to
explore, look after, and enjoy.

And everything would stay this way as long as
Adam and Eve followed the one rule God had
given them:

You mustnt eat the fruit from this tree,
God told them. It will hurt you.

One day a crafty snake came to Eve in the garden
he wanted to trick her.

Did God really say, Dont eat any of the fruit in the garden?
the snake asked.

Oh, no, said Eve. There is only one tree we mustnt eat
from. God says the fruit will hurt us.

Eve knew that God loved her, and she trusted him. God
knew what was good for her and what was not. His rule was
meant to keep her safe.

But the snake told Eve a terrible lie.

Oh, its not going to hurt you, he said. In fact, it will make
you just like God.

Then Eve wondered did God really
love her? Should she trust him?

Eve listened to the snake (who always
tells lies) instead of trusting God
(who always tells the truth).

She took the fruit and tasted it.

She gave some to Adam.

And then, because Adam and Eve had
disobeyed God, EVERYTHING changed.

The world that God had made
out of love was broken.

God still loved Adam and Eve (they would always be his children),
but the garden could no longer be their home. So he made clothes
for them and sent them out.

Now sadness, sickness, and death had come into Gods perfect world.