God's Mighty Acts in Creation

Lately during our morning devotional time my children and I have been reading Starr Meade's new book God's Mighty Acts in Creation. This slim yet well-written volume contains 45 short devotions suited especially for children or equally suited for family use. Each two page devotional message contains a descriptive title and subtitle, a focal Scripture verse, the devotional and finally a discussion or application time ("As For Me and My House"). Each of the 45 lessons are keyed into the six days of creation as follows:

Creator and Creation: An Introduction-2 lessons

Day 1: Light and Water-4 lessons on light and 6 on water

Day 3: Land and Plants-10 lessons

Day 4: Sun, Moon, and Stars--5 lessons

Day 5: Birds and Fish-6 lessons

Day 6: Animals and People-12 lessons

Although initially I was confused about the omission of "Day 2" in the Table of Contents, this is the only complaint I have about this volume. This family-friendly resource goes well beyond the usual content of similar devotional books written for 8-12 year olds. Meade has developed lessons which pointedly demonstrate the character of God and frequently offer many interesting observations about nature as well. "As For Me and My House" sections are well-designed for discussion, participation and application for children in this age range. No illustrations are included within this devotional, yet I personally feel none are necessary. Recommended for families with children in this age range.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crossway Books through their Homeschool Book Review Program. No other compensation was provided, and opinions represent my own.

Idolatry.  Few books written for adults go beyond the concept of worshipping images of false gods (i.e. the golden calf, Exodus; Baal, Artemis, etc.). Even fewer children's resources tackle the subject. While it isn't the primary purpose of Starr Meade's new book, God's Mighty Acts in Creation, idolatry is one of the many subjects that she explains in a way that young children can easily grasp without watering down the truth.

 

God's Mighty Acts in Creation goes through each of the days of creation showing how God created everything in nature to tell us something about Himself. What does light tell us about God? What does the grass tell us about God? God, in His infinite wisdom, created everything to declare His glory. Starr Meade effectively connects God's Word and the Gospel to many aspects of creation helping her reader understand many difficult Biblical concepts including idolatry; general and special revelation; God's holiness, wisdom, omniscience, omnipresence; our sinfulness and depravity, our need for a mediator, atonement, and many other things-especially God's character and attributes. While the publisher recommends this book for children ages 8-12, I found that my seven-year-old daughter thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from Starr Meade's writing. Each of the forty-five devotions within this book: begin with a Scripture, contain a two-page commentary, and close with a simple question and/or activity. The questions/activities at the end of each reading are easy but effective at  "driving home" the concepts about which Ms. Meade has written. God's Mighty Acts in Creation is a spectacular resource for parents wishing to help their children better understand how "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1, ESV). I look forward to reading the volume to which this is a companion, God's Mighty Acts in Salvation.

 

*Many thanks to Crossway for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Wow....what a great resource. As a mom to four children, I am always looking for ways to educate my children about the things of God. I have just finished,

God's Mighty Acts in Creation, by Starr Meade, and I am impressed. The devotional reads as if you are listening to your favorite Sunday School teacher

telling the many interesting and wonderful Bible stories from both the Old and New Testament. I received this book for purpose of review

from www.crossways.org/blog. This devotional is taken from a Creationist viewpoint and is a wonderful way to teach your children interesting facts of each of

the days of creation. At the end of each day there is a section called, as for me and my house, that encourages discussion for your family or class.

I would recommend this book and I give it 5 stars.

God's Mighty Acts in Creation, by Starr Meade, is a devotional book for children based on each of the six creation days. For each topic, the author strives to convey not only the wonder of God's creation, but how each element of creation is used and discussed elsewhere in scripture and even times when the God's rules for that creation are suspended miraculously.

Chapters 2 through 12 focus on light and water. Various devotions address—the woman at the well, God causing an axe head to float on water for Elijah, Jesus as the "light of the world," the sprinkling of water to cleanse us from our sins, the magnificent power of the oceans that are still under God's command, and the plague of darkness over Egypt. Personal anecdotes, lessons from the world around us, and Bible passages all reinforce the concepts.

My daughter and I are currently working through another devotional book together, so I gave her this one to read independently. She says, "I love it because it's more serious than the other devotions I've read. This one gives you Bible verses to look up and explains points better. It teaches me more about God. I also like the questions and activities. I wish it were thicker!"

I am impressed with how "meaty" this book is. Although written for children and families, it contains solid theology and is thought-provoking and meaningful for me as well. For families and young people that are serious about growing in knowledge and faith, this book is an excellent choice!

I received this book free through Crossway's Book Review program. All opinions are my own.

God's Mighty Acts in Creation is about how all of Creation points to God. In our culture, children are inundated with the belief that man has made everything that we have created our own world. Science sets out to prove that God doesn't exist. As parents, we need to help our children see God in the world around us. Rather than proving that God doesn't exist, science points to all that we don't know and the amazing complexity of His Creation, our world. But, we need to help them see this. This devotional is a wonderful way to help children learn to open their eyes. When I first began reading God's Mighty Acts in Creation, my family was traveling on a long trip to my brother's wedding. I read the second entry to my husband that includes a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. When I finished reading, he commented on how impressed he was at how the author was able to explain the poem at a kid's level. My husband is not easily impressed. I was impressed as well. Honestly, I hadn't read the poem before and Ms. Meade's explanation helped me understand it. All that said, though, this book will probably still surprise you. It is not simply a book about light and darkness, plants, animals, and people. It is a book about seeing God. One of the entries about plants talks about how life changes, but that the things that really matter don't--God and His Word. Knowing and remembering this can help us accept the changes in our life and seek what really matters. Many important spiritual truths are woven into this book. I highly recommend this book and God's Mighty Acts in Salvation. I think that they would be most appropriate for 8-12 year olds. The truths are definitely relevant for a 13 year old and 7 year old as well, but I would try to find a site where you can preview it to see if it is right for your child if they're outside the 8-12 range.Please note that I was given a complimentary copy of this book for review by Crossway Books.