Artwork by Kelly Venturo
Deep within the foggy rainforest, underneath a mossy log, there lived a newt. He was brown on top and yellowish below and had a good, honest face. The rainforest where he lived was, as the name suggested, nearly always wet and muddy since it rained a lot. But the newt did not mind this. Actually, he liked it. He made his way delicately through the soggy leaves carrying a large black umbrella and wearing a big floppy leaf for a hat. The newt’s bed was a big, fluffy mound of moss, and his door was an overhanging fern. He kept his belongings neatly on the shelves of fungus that grew out of his damp woody walls, and whenever he needed a drink, he squeezed the water from the moss that hung all around his house into one of the tiny cup fungi that grew just outside his door. It was a very nice comfortable home, the newt thought.
The newt’s favorite thing to do was to garden. He had a little rake made of twigs and a little shovel, and every day he took time to tend his plants. He grew all kinds of things: edible mushrooms, leafy ferns, and colorful flowers. Sometimes birds tried to steal his plants. But his greatest enemies were slugs. Slugs were big, fat, and slimy and were not even a little bit polite. They slimed all over his garden, especially at night, and squashed his fine plants and mushrooms. Sometimes they even slimed his house when he was away! It was the newt’s duty to keep these intruders away. He spent a whole week building a solid fence around his gardens. This was when he decided that enough was simply enough!
Life can sometimes be difficult in the rainforest. But the newt was perfectly happy. He had his home, and he had his garden. He had a new fence to keep away those rude slugs. Someday, you should go to the rainforest, so you can visit Mr. Newt yourself! Then you will see his neat little home under the mossy log and his beautiful garden, kept green and healthy by the misty rain that falls every day in the foggy rainforest.
......................................................................................................................................
Did you know that you are a little like a garden? No, you are not a plant, but you grow just like one. Your body grows taller and stronger as you get older. The inside of you, the real you, grows too. When you decide to turn from your sin and trust in Jesus to clean it away from you, God wants you to grow to become more like Him. Just like plants need sunshine and water to grow, you need something to help you grow more like Jesus. That thing is called the Bible. The Bible is God’s Words to us. It tells us all about Him. There’s something else you can do. You can pray! Praying just means talking to God. You can’t obey God and be like Him without His help. You must ask God to help you do what is right. It won’t be easy. Sometimes, you will mess up. You must ask God to forgive you and trust that He will.
It may seem like a chore to read the Bible. Many of the words are long and hard to understand. But as you get used to it, it will be easier. Try to start by reading just a little bit each day—maybe just a chapter. A good place to start is in the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books are all about Jesus’ life on earth. They are called the Gospels because they talk about the Gospel, or Good News, that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and came alive again. Another good place to begin is the book of Romans. As you read, ask God to help you with the parts you don’t understand. You can also ask an adult who loves and obeys God to help you.
Remember, God loves you. He wants you to be with Him and be like Him. He wants you to grow. He wants to help you. When you read the Bible, be on the lookout for three things: first, places that tell you what God is like; second, places that contain God’s promises to you; third, places that tell you how to do what’s right. Next time you see a plant, think about how God wants you to grow, just like that plant. Read God’s Words and talk to Him, and you will grow to be more like Him.
Want to Listen?
