by Bryce Pelow and Krista Nightengale

Have you ever wondered if Adam or Eve had a belly button? Because God carefully crafted them, they wouldn't have needed one.

Here's what we do know about the first people: “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).

If you look up the word formed in Hebrew—the language the Old Testament was first written in—you'll discover that the word yatsar can be translated as to mold, fashion or form, especially as a potter.

Picture God as an artist when He made Adam. The Creator of the universe got His hands dirty to make the first person. He molded the ear-folds, making odd shapes. He formed the eyes smooth and glassy. He rubbed the fingernails until they shined and put wrinkles in Adam's knuckles. The Lord spent time getting the little details exactly right.

The Bible explains two other important aspects of God's creation of humans.

No. 1—God used himself as a blueprint. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Unlike any other creature on Earth, only we resemble God. Our personalities, attitudes, desire to make friends, ability to create and show compassion for others are all reflections of God's character.

No. 2—God breathed life. When God was satisfied that His artwork was perfect, He held the man's head close to His and blew the breath of life into Adam's nose. Imagine being Adam. The first thing you would've seen was God's smiling face, the smell of God's breath lingering in your nostrils.

The word translated as breathed is also interesting. In Hebrew naphach means to puff, blow hard or to kindle a fire to get it started.

Have you ever tried to start a campfire? Sometimes it takes a carefully aimed breath to make a fire spring to life. That's what God did with Adam. Only God has the power to create life from nothing.

Life Today
God didn't make you in the same way He made Adam and Eve, but He put the same amount of care, love and thought into forming each one of us.

Even Jesus Christ entered the world in the same way you did. God could've sent His Son as a teenager or adult—nothing's impossible for Him. But Jesus started out as a tiny baby growing inside His mother.

All of the 6.5 billion people living today are part of God's handiwork. King David, who the Bible says had a heart fully devoted to God, wrote: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalms 139:13-14).

God knew you before your parents did. He intimately formed all of the babies, grandparents, fathers, mothers and children in the world. Each person is a unique work of art. You are a one-of-kind masterpiece that God made. Think about how amazing that is!

God is the author of all life. Every life is important to Him. Just knowing that fact should cause you to value life as God does. After all, He blew the breath of life into Adam and left His fingerprints on every single person.

Miracle of Life
Take a peek into how life begins.

• When a new baby is created inside of a mother, it's smaller than a grain of salt—yet God knows every detail of this new baby, whether it's a boy or a girl, the color of the eyes and hair, and more.
• Seven days later the tiny baby is the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
• At three weeks, a baby starts to grow its organs, including the heart, lungs and brain.
• One week later, the baby's eyes, mouth, arms and legs can be seen. In just one more week, the baby will start making its own blood.
• When the baby is only 6 weeks old, it can move its arms and legs, respond to touch and bend its neck— and it's only a 1/2-inch long.
• In just two more weeks, the baby's fingers and toes can be seen. There are even tiny teeth buried in its gums.
• Nine weeks after the baby started growing, he or she can yawn and suck, has eyelids to protect its eyes and is about 2 inches long.
• At around four or five months, the mother can feel the baby moving around. It's about 7 inches long and weighs less than 1 pound.
• About 266 days after this miracle began, the baby is ready to be born, weighing around 7 or 8 pounds and 20 inches in length.

	Q: What do you get when an antelope and a caribou collide? A: A cantaloupe. Jacy and Joe C., 8 and 6, North Carolina Clubhouse Jr. Click here to subscribe