A Creative Walk through Genesis
According to the Bible the first thing we learn about God is that He is creative. He is The Creator. He speaks life into existence.
Today as we read through the creation account in Genesis 1:1-25 – the first 5 days – I’m going to ask some questions or suggest some activities to help us look at this account in a creative way.
In the beginning
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light! God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day.
Light was created. But not the sun at this time. What do you think this light might have been?
God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water.” So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so. God called the expanse “sky.” There was evening, and there was morning, a second day.
Go outside or look out of the window. Look at the sky at different times of the day and in different weathers. Admittedly we get a lot of grey skies here in the UK, but we also get blue skies, cloudy skies, stormy skies.
Vegetation
God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear.” It was so. God called the dry ground “land” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good. God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: plants yielding seeds and trees on the land bearing fruit with seed in it, according to their kinds.” It was so. The land produced vegetation – plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. There was evening, and there was morning, a third day.
Close your eyes and remember walks you have taken through fields, woods, by the sea. Think about the different trees and plants you saw on your walk. Hear the crashing waves on the beach and the sound of the sea through the shingle. Meditate on the amazing variety of God’s creation.
God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years, and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” It was so. God made two great lights – the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night. He made the stars also. God placed the lights in the expanse of the sky to shine on the earth, to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.
Think about the colours of the sunset or the sunrise. Have you ever been to a dark sky site and seen the night sky? Even in the city we can look up at night and see many stars. Take time to look.
Birds and Animals
God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” God created the great sea creatures and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” There was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day. God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” It was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.
Which is your favourite fish, bird or animal? Why? It can be hard to choose just one from such a wide variety.
Be aware
Our lives can become so busy that we miss noticing the simple and creative things. God made all the light, sea, sky, plants, birds and animals for his glory and our benefit. Don’t let us take it all for granted.
Pay attention to the natural world around us.
How can we open our eyes and notice?
Let’s listen. Take time. Breathe. Walk.
Let us appreciate all that God has given us.
Video: So will I
All Bible verses taken from New English Version (NET)
