The Lord’s mighty creation — Weekly Christian ed lesson

Lesson background

“The Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” We have all heard some variation on this opening line from Psalm 24 and we are unlikely to dispute it. All that is and ever will be belongs to God. And because all of creation is God’s, creation is a wonderful tool for helping us see and know the Creator. In this lesson, children will explore Psalm 29, noticing how God interacts with the natural world and demonstrates divine power and glory. Then, they will consider how nature might continue to teach us about God.

What you’ll need

• A Bible
• Chart paper or a whiteboard and markers
• A Biblical atlas (optional)
• God is Like…activity: A computer with Internet access connected to a television or a data projector, video “Read Aloud: What is God Like?”, copies of the God is Like…handout, and crayons or markers (optional)
• Powerful Cedars: printouts of Cedar of Lebanon facts, A computer with Internet access connected to a television or data projector and video “Lebanon: Planting Cedar Trees in a Country in Crisis” (optional)

Starting out

Greet the children as they arrive.

At the top of a piece of chart paper or the whiteboard, write “powerful” on the right-hand side. Have the children brainstorm a list of things or people that are powerful. Record their responses. Then, write “glorious” at the top of the left-hand side of the chart paper/whiteboard. (If you are working with a younger group of children who may not be familiar with the word, use “wonderful.”) Ask the children to brainstorm a list of people and things that are glorious. Write their responses.

If the children did not list God as “powerful” or “glorious,” ask them if God would fit either or both of these categories. Have them explain their answers.

Hearing and exploring the story

Prepare to read aloud Psalm 29.

Provide the children with context for the reading:

• The reading comes from the Old Testament book of Psalms, a collection of song/poems about God. Many of the psalms, including Psalm 29, were written by King David.
• There are several place names from the area where the people of God lived used in the psalm. These were all real places. You may choose to use a Biblical atlas to show the children these locations.
• In the psalm, the author mentions oaks. While we know an oak as a tree, the word is being used to refer to pregnant female deer in the psalm.

Read aloud Psalm 29.

After reading, ask the children:

• Which of the descriptions of the Lord’s actions in this psalm “jumps out” at you?
• What does this description tell you about God?
• Re-read the final verse of the psalm (verse 11). In what ways do you think God gives people strength? How does God give us peace?

Responding to the story

To help the children connect the story to their own lives and experiences, invite them to engage in one or more of the following activities:

• God is like… Gather the materials you’ll need for this activity: A computer with Internet access connected to a television or a data projector, video “Read Aloud: What is God Like?”, copies of God is Like…… handout, and crayons or markers. Remind the children the psalm helps us understand God through nature. Many writers – not just the authors of the Bible – have compared God to things we know well to help us understand God. Play the video. Ask the children to share the comparisons in the book that best help them understand God. Hand each child a God is Like… Ask the children to draw a picture of something that helps them understand God. Encourage them to think of parts of nature that connect them to God. Then, under the word “because…” ask them to write or draw what that comparison tells them about God.
• Powerful cedars Gather the materials you’ll need for this activity: Cedar of Lebanon facts, A computer with Internet access connected to a television or data projector and video “Lebanon: Planting Cedar Trees in a Country in Crisis.” Re-read verse 5. Ask the children to share what they know about cedar trees. Distribute copies of Cedar of Lebanon facts and ask children to read the information. Have the children wonder what the cedar trees might have looked like and been used for during the time when the psalm was written. Then show the video. Have the children reflect about what the replanting of cedar trees in Lebanon today might teach us about God.