Only God Can Do That!
Bible Reading: Genesis 1:2-5; 2:7; Psalm 33:6-9; Ephesians 2:4-10
"Look, Levi, I'm making a snowman!" cried Claire, rolling a white blob of playdough into a ball.
But her brother didn't seem to be listening. Levi was concentrating. He had spent the last ten minutes sculpting the face of a lion out of some yellow playdough. Claire had to admit, Levi's lion was pretty good. He had used a plastic knife to carve out the lion's features, and now he was working on a fiery mane.
"Looks like you guys are having fun!" said Mom, pausing at the table to view their creations. "I like your snowman, Claire! And that lion's beginning to look quite lifelike, Levi. I love the way you've twisted all those strands together to make his mane. You're both so creative!"
"Creative?" asked Claire. "I thought only God created things."
"Well, the Bible says God made people in His own image," said Mom, taking a seat at the table. "That's why we enjoy being creative. Some people like to paint. Some people like to bake. But while humans can only create things using materials that already exist, God created the universe out of nothing."
"Nothing?" asked Claire. "How can you make something out of nothing?" She waved her hands around as though trying to shape a creature out of thin air. "It's impossible!"
Mom laughed. "God created light just by speaking! And Psalm 33 tells us He created the heavenly hosts--all the stars in the sky--by the breath of His mouth."
Claire gasped. "Wow! That's amazing!"
"But when He created Adam," Mom continued, "God fashioned him with His own hands from the dust of the earth and breathed life into his nose."
Levi finally spoke. "Whoa! This lion I've been sculpting is just a model. It will never live or move. But God made a real man!"
"That's right," said Mom. "Only God can do that! And only God can give people new life. The Bible explains that because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, humans are born spiritually dead because of sin. But when we trust Jesus to save us from sin, it's as though God breathes new, eternal life into an old pile of dust. Jesus makes us alive all over again!"
Claire and Levi looked at each other and smiled. "That's so awesome!"
–Angela Jelf
How About You?
Do you enjoy being creative? Do you like drawing or writing stories? Or perhaps you enjoy building things or making up games. God made us to be creative, but He is the ultimate Creator because He made the universe out of nothing! And He breathes new spiritual life into those who trust in Jesus. Have you received Jesus and the new life He brings? (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)
Today's Key Verse:
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (NIV)
(Genesis 2:7)
Today's Key Thought:
Only God can create life