Day 1 - A Keeper of Promises from the Beginning

 

"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 of 2021 hasn't felt too much different than 2020...the year of disappointment and grief over lost life, health, finances, trips, plans, school, social life, work, church, political stability...  In all our loss and disappointment, fear and grief, we find our hope, strength, and stability in God's promises. With the year all of us have had, we need God's promises to wash over our souls more than ever before. I don't know where you are this advent. I don't know all the disappointments and struggles you have faced this past year, but I do know that our God never disappoints. He never fails. He is the giver of life and of the best promises. 

This advent, we will look at God's promises from Genesis to Revelation. We will see a very good beginning in a garden and a very good ending in the New Garden. 

We don't learn much about God's promises today, except 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...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 prepare the beds and 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! It's a miracle! The seeds sprout! I water, weed, and watch with joy as my plants grow.  As Advent begins and I teach my littles the Gospel Story once again, I approach it much the same way as my garden. Before me lies the 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 or blisters on my hands!  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.