A Walk in the Woods

Bible Reading: Colossians 1:15-20

“How about coming to church with me next week, Madeline?” Amber asked her friend as they walked up a wooded hill looking for wildflowers to identify for their science homework.

Madeline shook her head. “My parents believe you can get close to God walking in the woods instead of sitting in a stuffy old building and reading an out-of-date book,” she said. “I think they’re right.”

“Well, we can learn a lot about God through creation,” Amber said, “but we need to know what God says in the Bible too. And it’s not outdated!”

Madeline shrugged. “My dad says it’s better our way.” She pointed to a spot along the path where flecks of color stuck out from small green plants covering the ground. “Look, wildflowers!”

Amber bent over and picked a small purple flower. “Let’s see if we can find pictures of these in the wildflower book we brought from school.”

“Oh no, I left it at my house!” Madeline said. “We should walk back and get it.”

Amber shook her head. “Nah. That book was probably written before we were even born. Why bother reading such an out-of-date book when we have all these flowers right in front of us?”

“But how will we know what flowers these are without the book?” Madeline asked. “It may be an old book, but the information in it is still true. Wildflowers don’t change!”

“And God doesn’t change, either,” Amber replied. “Everything the Bible says about Him is still true. Just like we can’t identify any of these wildflowers without a guidebook, we can’t know the Creator of the universe without the Bible.”

“Well, I…” Madeline didn’t know what to say.

“Even though creation teaches us some things about God, it doesn’t give us the whole story,” said Amber. “We need to read the Bible for that. It’s the story of who Jesus is and how much He loves us and all He’s done for us.” Amber twirled the purple flower between her fingers. “So how about it? Will you go to church with me this week?”

Madeline hesitated. “Okay,” she said after a moment. “I’ll go.” – Linda Weddle

How About You?

Do you think creation tells us more about God than reading the Bible or going to church? It’s good to appreciate God’s beautiful creation, but it can’t teach you everything He wants you to know and believe. That’s why He gave us the Bible—it tells us who Jesus is and how much He loves us. When you know that, you’ll appreciate everything He’s made—and all He’s done for you—even more!

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Peter 1:25 The word of the Lord endures forever.

Today’s Key Thought:

The Bible reveals God