Chapter 1 of 7
Before there were any cities, there was a garden. God made the trees, the water, the animals and the stars, and He made people to know Him.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 (BSB)
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:3 (BSB)
John tells us who was there at the very start: Jesus, the Word. Everything was made through Him. So when we enjoy anything God made, we can say thank you to Him.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God.
Psalm 42:1 (BSB)
A thirsty deer looks for water. The psalm says our hearts are thirsty for God in the same way. Jesus said He gives water that takes away that thirst for good.
Talk about itWhat do you do when you are really thirsty? What does it look like to be thirsty for God?
And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
Matthew 6:28-29 (BSB)
Flowers do not work or worry, yet God dresses them more beautifully than a king. Jesus told His friends: if God takes care of flowers, He will surely take care of you.
Talk about itWhat is something you worry about? How could you give it to God?
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
Matthew 13:31-32 (BSB)
A giant tree starts as a tiny seed. Jesus said God’s kingdom is like that. It began small, with Jesus and a few friends, and it keeps growing until people from everywhere find a home in it.
Talk about itWhat is the smallest seed you have ever seen? What did it grow into?
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Psalm 19:1 (BSB)
The sky is like a sign that says: someone great made this. The stars cannot talk, but they still tell about God. And the God who made the stars came close to us in Jesus.
Talk about itOn the next clear night, go outside and look up. What do the stars tell you about God?
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
Psalm 1:3 (BSB)
Roots go down deep to find water, so a tree stays green even on hot days. When we listen to God’s word and stay close to Jesus, we grow strong like that tree.
Talk about itWhat helps your roots grow deep in God?
Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him.
Mark 6:3 (BSB)
The One through whom everything was made once worked with wood and tools in a small town. Jesus knows what it is like to work hard, get tired and live in a family.
Talk about itWhy do you think God’s Son grew up as a carpenter, and not as a prince?
Before you go
Say this verse together a few times. Can you say it without looking?
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:3 (BSB)
Pray: Thank You, God, for making everything through Jesus. Help us see Your work all around us. Amen.