Day 1: God's Good Word

"Whatever happened, whatever it cost Him, He would always love them." (JSB 27)

Ornament: Earth

Scripture Readings:

Gen 1

John 1:1-14

Col 1:15-20

Verse: Genesis 1:1; John 1:1

Christmas Song: Joy Has Dawned

Hymn: All Creatures of Our God and King

Story: Creation (some suggestions below from some good resources)

Jesus Storybook Bible: The Beginning (18-27)

Big Picture Story Bible: The Very Good Beginning (15-35)

The Ology: God Created Everything out of Nothing at All (18-21)

The Gospel Story Bible (first story)

The Beginners' Gospel Story Bible (first story)

This year, we are celebrating God's promises from Genesis to Revelation. This first story is very happy and special. I like how David Helm calls it "the very good beginning."  He created this world and all that is in it. We don't learn much about God's promises today, except we do learn that His Word is powerful and perfect, beautiful and creative, splendid and strong. God's Word from the very beginning has been good and right and true. This is the God who will give and keep His promises. How wonderful that He shows us in the very first story how very good His Word and work is - forever and always. 

I love to garden, yes, even the process of gardening.  I have always loved choosing and ordering the seeds. Days go by as I impatiently await their arrival in the mail and then carefully read the instructions for each cute little bag.  I do the yucky weeding.  I get blisters on my hands and dirt on my face and stains on my clothes and bugs in my hair (ewww!).  Some seeds are planted indoors and others are planted directly in the ground.  I water and wait ... and wait ... at last! The seeds sprout! I water, weed, and watch with joy as my plants grow.  As Advent begins, I am faced with a choice - an opportunity to plant the seeds of the Greatest Story within the hearts and minds of my children.  They are never too young and are never too old to hear this story. I cannot make my children believe this wonderful story, but I can sow the seeds.  I can show them how the greatest of all stories has rescued me and is changing me. And I don't even have to get bugs in my hair!  There are other verses, songs, and stories that could be included, but hopefully, this will be a place to make it easier to be a faithful planter of the seed of the Best Story ever told and to see the promises of God.


    I have been thinking about the similarities of Genesis 1 and John 1. God spoke a word, and the world was created. In John 1, God sent The Word to us. A new kind of beginning - God has come to us. Celebrate this today! The beginning of December is here already,  and there is no better place to begin the Advent season than in Genesis 1 with the best of beginnings.