Creation – Everyday Conversations with Kids about God (Part 1)

When I was a new mom, I read a book called Creative Family Times, and the authors encouraged me to get in the habit of carrying on conversations with my children about God as often as possible. They suggested that a tree could remind me to discuss Zaccheus, a lake could remind me to talk about how Jesus walked on the water, and a visit to the zoo could remind me to talk about Noah and the ark.

They had several other great ideas, but I’ve been trying to see if I could find more ideas straight from Scripture. I’ve been amazed at how many conversation-starting ideas the Bible has to offer! (Why should it surprise me that God is so creative? :-))

Over the next few weeks, I’ll give you some ideas to get the conversations started. I’ll just list verses straight from the Bible, then I’ll share beneath how we implement some of the ideas in our home.

Start by Discussing Creation

“Give thanks to YHWH, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts…
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced” (Psalm 105:1-5).

“YHWH, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
YHWH, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1-9).

“Since they show no regard for the works of YHWH
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again” (Psalm 28:5) — Note the warning here!

“All mankind will fear;
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done” (Psalm 64:9).

“Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man’s behalf!” (Psalm 66:5)

“I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:12).

“For you make me glad by your deeds, O YHWH;
I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
How great are your works, O YHWH,
how profound your thoughts!” (Psalm 103:22).

“How many are your works, O YHWH!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures” (Psalm 104:24).

“Great are the works of YHWH;
they are pondered by all who delight in them” (Psalm 111:2).

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).

“I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done” (Psalm 143:5).

“One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds” (Psalm 145:4-6).

Making It Practical

• It seems to me that the place to start is by taking my children outside at night and looking up at the stars. Even the youngest children can quickly learn the answer to “Who made the stars?” (Jesus!) Keep track of God’s calendar in the stars by charting the moon through its phases. Learn the constellations and how they share God’s redemptive story. (An excellent book for Dad and Mom is The Witness of the Stars, by E.W. Bullinger.)
• Science curriculum must emphasize God the creator! (See Psalm 28:5!)
• Remember that your children will learn evolution from almost every other source. We watched an amazing TV show the other night (Frozen Planet on Discovery Channel), but no glory was given to the Creator — even though His works were on display! We don’t allow our children to watch these shows without our undivided attention, and we have a DVR so we can pause for discussion. A better option would be DVDs such as God of Wonders.)
• Field trips to nature centers, museums, and state parks are great — but again, you’ll have to make a pointed effort to direct the honor to the Creator and to refute the evolution you’ll hear at every turn.

Next time we’ll talk about some dates you can schedule on your calendar, “appointments with God” and natural discussion starters with your children.

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