Creation

This week spend time as a family connecting with God through creation. Creation is feeling His presence, hearing His voice, or being moved to worship by being in His creation. You feel there is no better place for you to meet with God than in the sanctuary that He has created Himself: nature. You love to be outside. It is in nature that you most easily connect with God’s presence, hear His voice, and are moved to worship by the observation of His majesty.

To learn more about meditation visit mercyculture.com/creation

• Sunday

  Scripture:
  Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:26-28

  Activation:
  Find a trail to walk or a hike to go on as a family and discuss all the things in creation that you see. Remind your children that those things were created by God.

  Table Talk:
  Discuss how can we look more like God. What fruit can you produce? The fruits of the spirit are good examples of how we can produce fruit. Galatians 5:22-23.

• Monday

  Scripture:
  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 9:1

  Activation:
  Make space for there to be awe and wonder…Star gaze, catch lightning bugs, or find beautiful rocks!

  Table Talk:
  Father God has created the earth with you in mind! What in creation causes the most wonder within you?

• Tuesday

  Scripture:
  He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; Psalm 78:26

  Activation:
  Have a picnic together as a family and notice the wind or find shapes and figures in the clouds.

  Table Talk:
  What part of creation stood out to you today? In what ways can our lives proclaim the work of His hands?

• Wednesday

  Scripture:
  By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Hebrews 11:3

  Activation:
  Give your child(ren) a disposable camera and release them to be inspired by Creation around them!

  Table Talk:
  Ask your children if they took a picture of themselves. Just as God created what they captured in creation, God also created them by His words.

• Thursday

  Scripture:
  And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:24-25

  Activation:
  Study a landscape or an animal species and see the Creator in it all!

  Table Talk:
  Discuss the greatness of God in the way He created animals to know their own kind. Animals have a supernatural way of knowing who they are! Have you ever seen a bird trying to be a fish and swimming in the ocean under water? God created us to know who we are as well.

• Friday

  Scripture:
  For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:13-14

  Activation:
  In your own words, thank Father God for how He made you. The works of His hands are beautiful and intentional. Don’t limit the wonder of all He has created to the world around you. The way He made you is also full of wonder.

  Table Talk:
  Take turns celebrating each family member by highlighting your favorite thing about each other. Be intentional by leading your children in highlighting inward things.

• Saturday

  Scripture:
  That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens. All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Romans 8:19-25

  Activation:
  As a family, ask the Holy Spirit to highlight a neighbor you can bless to and help in the stewardship of their yard.

  Table Talk: Talk about some ways that as a family, you can slow down to steward and appreciate the Earth God has given us. Just as we, the children of God, eagerly await Jesus to return for us, creation is waiting as well. All of God’s creation is awaiting His return. Helping steward creation (like your neighbor’s yard) is as though you’re getting it ready to be presentable to Father God. How can you equally steward your spirit, soul, and body for His return?