Trail Life Troop
NC-613
Devotional - The Heavens
Opening
- The heavens above us are full of wonder and mystery, let’s see what God says about His creation.
- Read, or someone read the Teaching verse. FYI: The memory verse is further down
Psalm 8:3 When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?
Devotional
Big picture God made all the heavens for us to explore and to know Him more.
- Q: Does anyone want to be an astronaut someday and visit far away planets? Allow answers
- Q: Has anyone ever looked up at the stars at night? How did you feel seeing all those stars, so far away?
- Q: How big is the universe? The universe is infinite, so big it is beyond our understanding.
- Who created the heavens and all the stars, the moon, the sun and all the universe? God did. He is bigger than even the universe. Think about that! It's why the bible says we can never understand God.
- But God still loves us even though He is so big, so mighty, so powerful and wise. Why does He love us? Why does He care about us? Yes, God made everything, including outer space, but why?
- King David looked up at the heavens and asked that same question, “God, You made all this. You are so big, yet we are so small and insignificant, why do You care about us at all, God?” We are tiny specks on one small blue planet (Earth). Even Earth is a tiny speck of dust compared to the size of the universe.
- The Bible gives us the answers why. His wondrous creation declares His glory. It causes us to marvel at how amazing God is and then to worship Him, in all His awesome wonder. It humbles us and puts us in our place. It forces us to our knees to pray to such a wonderful God who made all this amazing stuff.
- But God also made the heavens for us to explore. He shares His creation with us so we can know Him more, but we will never, ever begin to understand it all. Many unbelievers think we can and will. But that is foolishness because the more we know, the more we realize what we don’t know. We aren’t God.
- But just because we cannot know all there is to know, that shouldn’t keep us from wanting to know more about creation. Because, God made all creation for us. He delights in our quest to know Him.
- God created a world and the heavens that ARE knowable. He gave us science and knowledge, like building rockets, telemetry and computers to navigate in outer space. Being a Christian is not anti-science. God created science and math for us to know Him more. He wants us to know Him. He shares His creation with us because He loves us. As the teaching verse says, “…He cares for us.” Why else would He have made us? Why else would He have made the whole universe if not to share it with us?
Memory Verse #1
Ask if anybody knows it yet and can say it? Read it together 2X Consider having a memory verse pamphlet for kids take home.
Ephesians 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Topical Questions
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If you look into space, can you see Heaven? You can see the glory of God in his creation, but the Heavens and Heaven are two different places
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Can you be a scientist and believe in the Bible at the same time?
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What is one thing you have learned about God through his creation?
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How can exploring space a God-honoring activity?
Closing Prayer
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. All glory and honor is Yours, O Lord. We thank You and praise You for the works of Your hands, the earth and all the universe. We thank You for the Sun that is not too hot. We thank You for cool nights so we can rest. We thank You for the moon, that perfectly balances the Earth, and much more. Someday soon, we will be with You in Heaven. Until then, we will glorify Your holy name. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
