The School Project

Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids

Bible Reading: Psalm 33:6-9; Romans 6:23; 2 Peter 3:11-13

Michael put the last touch of paint on his school project, set the brush down, and stood back to admire it. It had taken weeks of hard work, but he had put together a model farm that he was proud of.

It had everything from a cornfield to pigs, cows, and chickens. The farmhouse looked good too, and Michael was excited to show it to his class.

"Wow, you did great," his dad said when he came to inspect it that evening. Dad bent to take a closer look. "I love all the details."

Michael beamed. "Thanks." He explained various parts of the farm and pointed to the things he liked best about it.

Dad smiled as he straightened up. "You should be proud of your work."

"I am," Michael said.

"You love it?" Dad asked.

Michael nodded enthusiastically. "I put so much work into it."

"You know, this reminds me of something," Dad said.

"What?" Michael asked. His dad was always making lessons out of things.

Dad put a hand on his shoulder. "It reminds me of God's creation and His love for it--for us. Think about how He so carefully made the earth and everything in it. It's sort of like how you put effort into the farm."

"The earth is much bigger than my tiny farm," Michael said.

"But it's something you can relate to." Dad pointed at the project. "Whenever you wonder if God really loves you, think about how much love and care went into making this. You wouldn't want anything to destroy it, right?"

Michael's eyes widened. "Of course not."

"God doesn't want anything to destroy His creation either--the earth or the people He created. But we brought sin into the world, and sin is destructive--the Bible says sin results in death. So God's Son, Jesus, became one of us and died and rose again to save us from sin and death. Everyone who trusts in Him has eternal life, and one day Jesus will get rid of sin and death forever and make everything new again." Dad smiled. "That's how much He loves His creation."

Michael looked at his project again. "It's pretty cool to think about it like that."

"It is, isn't it?" Dad winked.

–Bethany Acker

How About You?
Do you realize how much God loves the world He made and everything in it--including you? Jesus gave His life to save you from sin and death. Doesn't it feel good to know He loves you that much? He put a lot of care into creating everything He made, and He promises to make it new again one day so we can enjoy it with Him forever.
Today's Key Verse:
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (NIV) (Psalm 145:9)
Today's Key Thought:
God loves His creation