Only God Can Do That!

Bible Reading: Genesis 2:7; Ephesians 2:4-10

“Look Max, I’m making a snowman!” cried Chloe, rolling a white blob of play dough into a ball.

But her brother didn’t seem to be listening. Max was concentrating. He had spent the last ten minutes sculpting the face of a lion out of some yellow play dough. Chloe had to admit, Max’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, Chloe! And that lion’s beginning to look quite life-like, Max. I love the way you’ve twisted all those strands together to make his mane. You’re both so creative!”

“Creative?” asked Chloe. “I thought only God created things.”

“Well, the Bible says God made men and women 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 things out of nothing.”

“Nothing?” asked Chloe. “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!” she said. “And Psalm 33 tells us He created the heavenly hosts—all the stars in the sky—by the breath of His mouth.”

Chloe 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 nostrils.”

Max 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. “A living, breathing man. Only God can do that! And only God can give people new life. When we become Christians, it’s as though God breathes His very life into an old pile of dust. Jesus makes us alive all over again!”

Chloe and Max looked at each other and smiled. “That’s so awesome!” – Angela Jelf

How About You?

Do you enjoy being creative? Are you good at drawing or writing stories? Or perhaps you enjoy making or building things. But God made the universe out of nothing! Isn’t that awesome? And more than that, He’s able to breathe new life into each one of us. Have you received Jesus and the new life He brings? If not, don’t wait any longer! (See “The ABCs of Salvation” on the right column of this page.)

Today’s Key Verse: Ephesians 2:4-5 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

Only God can give new life