Learning about God Through Nature

When the Old Testament talks of God’s glory, it often refers to a visible manifestation of God. For example, the stories of the tabernacle in Exodus or Ezekiel’s vision of the temple, both expressing God’s intent to dwell among men.

But it’s also related to God’s self-disclosure through the world around us: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork. Day after day it speaks out; night after night it reveals his greatness. There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. Yet its voice echoes throughout the earth” (Ps. 19:1–4a).

Sometimes talking about God with smaller children gets tricky because we can’t see him. But, we can use nature to talk about God in simple ways. Here are a few ideas…

1. Spend some time outdoors with your family­ – Go for a walk. Climb in a kayak. Start a rock collection. Press flowers.  Or, if you are really daring, maybe a bug collection. Whatever activity you choose, talk about your favorite things fashioned by our Creator.
2. Learn about the lunar calendar or talk about the phases of the moon with your children. If you’ve been online this past weekend, you might have noticed articles about the “supersized supermoon.” Basically, on the morning of November 14^th, our moon will be “the closest it has been to Earth since 1948.” (Nasa Article)
3. Go to the library and find books on things that interest your family the most­—whether it be stars, the Pacific Ocean, willow trees, spiders, lizards, venus fly trap plants, or lightning. Learn about God’s handiwork and share your favorite findings.
4. Spend some time as a family praising God for his beautiful creation!