God’s Love in Creation
(God’s love for you is seen in His creation)
by Gini Crawford
In many instances in our society, love has become a buzz word that we use to
sound loving. However, we fail to put that “love” into action. God’s love, in
contrast, is filled with action. In numerous scriptures we are told that the
Christ, to die on the cross for us. However, His love for us is also seen very clearly
through His creation every single day of our lives. This week we are going to study
about God’s creation and how it applies to us personally. Just a little reminder from
scripture, it is very clear humans are the focal point and masterpiece of God’s
creation.
Day One
God Created You Very Good
God created everything in 6 days. After each day of creation God saw that what
He had made was good. Yet, after God had created everything – especially man and
woman, He saw that all He had created was very good. You are very good in God’s
eyes! Genesis 1:31 says,
And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was
evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (NASB)
1. Read Genesis 1 and 2 and summarize what each chapter is saying to you.
(His creation is His work of love for us! If you doubt this, as you read Genesis
1 and 2, make the creation story personal to yourself. You can do this by
asking yourself, “Why did He create that for me?” Example: God created the
sun so I can delight in its warmth and light on chilly days.)
2. At one time in my life, because of my childhood, I thought I was worthless. I
later realized from Genesis that I was very good in God’s sight. The word
“very” means exceedingly. The word “good” is defined by many positive
words. Some of the positive words are: beautiful, delightful, pleasant, glad,
precious, correct, excellent, lovely, convenient, joyful, fruitful, secure, kind,
and righteous. What if someone who loved you wrote you a letter using
these words to express what they thought about you? How would you feel?
Remember, these words are what God thinks about you! Take a few minutes
and think of that fact.
3. Answer the question, “What do you really think of yourself?” Take some time
with this question. Use your journal if you want. Ask the Spirit to search
your heart and mind, so you can answer truthfully. Be specific.
4. Take some of the positive words from above that define the word “good”.
Describe how that word applies to your life with God. (Examples: I am
beautiful to God because He called me very good in Genesis 1. I am
convenient to God, not an inconvenience as my childhood family led me to
believe.)
5. You are very good in God’s eyes and that is the truth! Since you are very
good in God’s eyes, how should you think of yourself? Use God’s Word to
answer this question if you can.
Day Two
God Created You in His Image
1. Read Genesis 1:26–31
When God’s Word says that we are created in God’s image, to put it simply, it
means that we resemble God in many ways. We do have the same form that God
the Son, Jesus Christ, has. His Word says of Jesus in Philippians 2:8a, He was,
“found in appearance as a man…” You are created in the very form that Jesus, the God
of the universe, chose for Himself. That’s a wow principle! However there is a huge
difference, Jesus has God’s essence and nature because He is God, we don’t! Jesus
says in John 14:7,
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you
know Him, and have seen Him." (NASB)
What does being in God’s image specifically mean? Well to be honest, there are
different views on what it means for us to be God’s image bearers. Most of them are
pretty inspiring ideas. However, no one has been able to specifically define, in my
view, how humans could be in God’s image. This is probably because the Bible
doesn’t give much detail about it. How can you explain such an awe-inspiring fact
without God’s help!
Nevertheless, I will explain to you what I think it means generally. Since we are
created in God’s image, we can reason and speak, and we have a will to choose, like
God. We also have the power to act out our reasoning, our speech, and our choices,
like God does. (Granted we are limited in these things compared to God.) Our
ability to do these things is clearly seen in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve chose to
disobey God for the first time.
God has two types of attributes, they are incommunicable and communicable.
The communicable attributes of God are the ones that we have (Yes, in a finite way
compared to God), such as a personality marked with emotions, moral character, the
desire for relationship, the want to be loved and to love, the capacity to have
understanding and wisdom, as well as the desire for mercy, justice, truth and
faithfulness. We also have an eternal existence that began when God created us. The
incommunicable attributes of God are the ones only God can have because God is
God. These include being self-existent, self-sufficient, sovereign, all-powerful, allknowing
and always present.
Think about why God would make us in His image? I love my cat, but I can’t
have a truly intimate relationship with her because she isn’t in my image. I can only
truly relate to and communicate with humans. We can, of course, relate to each
other because we are in each others image, but even more importantly we can relate
to God because He created us in His image. Since God created us in His image we
are linked to heaven and God Himself unlike any other creature God made. He
made us in His image to be able to have a truly intimate eternal relationship with us.
All of His workings throughout eternity prove it.
2. From scripture, we can absolutely say that God wanted a relationship with us
that surpassed all other relationships of His creation. I have to admit, I still
am awe-struck by this. Sometimes I don’t even want a relationship with
myself, or others, but God always wants one with me. Human history is
being played out, in order that God can have a people who are His and who
want to be His. Read Exodus 19:2–6, 1 Peter 2:4-10, and Jeremiah 31:3,
31-34. (The word “covenant” simply put means an agreement with a person or
group of people to whom you are deeply committed.) Write down any
insights and applications that the Spirit is giving you from these verses. How
does the fact that God wants you to be His, show you He loves you?
3. Think about this: What if God didn’t create us in His image, and we were all
on the same level as animals? What would that tell us about God and His
desire for a relationship with us? What value would humans have to Him
then? (Those of you who are animal lovers, just to encourage you, God cares
for animals too; but not in the same way He cares for us. (Matthew 10:29-31))
4. Prayerfully answer the question since God created you in His image: What
value does He ascribe to you? Did you know, you are so valuable to God that
He died for you when you were His enemy? (Those of you who struggle
with thinking you don’t have high value in God’s eyes, try answering this
question. Relate it to how you would think of someone you love and how you
value them.)
5. I am sure some of you are thinking, God did create us in His image, but
didn’t sin do something to His image in us? It did! We still possess God’s
image within us, but it has been corrupted by sin and needs renewing. Read
Genesis 9:6 and James 3:9. The only way to truly have God’s image again, is
through Jesus Christ and by allowing the Holy Spirit to progressively renew
His image within us. Read Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:9-11.
Day Three
God Created You Fearfully-Wonderfully
We are the pinnacle of God’s creation. He created us to love us and to have an
eternal relationship with us. He created all things for us to enjoy and sustain us.
King David in Psalm 8 writes about how surprised he is that God, the Creator of
everything, would make us, mere humans, just a little lower than Himself. David
also was amazed that God cares for us so much that He allows us to rule over His
creation. David also seemed astonished that God would crown us with glory and
majesty. (I can relate to what David is feeling. How about you?) David says of God
in Psalm 8:3-6,
When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which
Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of
man, that Thou dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God,
And dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the
works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet. (NASB)
Some of you are not familiar with King David. King David reigned as King in
Israel around 1000 B.C. He was Israel’s most famous king and is called a man after
God’s own heart. King David wrote many of the Psalms. The Psalms are Hebrew
poetry and were often used as songs of worship. David was a man who truly
enjoyed God. He would lift his voice in song to worship Him because he knew God
loved him and he loved God. When you are feeling down and out, it’s always a
good idea to read a Psalm or two.
Psalm 139 tells us that God made us wonderfully, which means we are amazingly
constructed! As I look in the mirror or stick my foot in my mouth, I certainly don’t
think of myself as amazingly put together. Yet the truth is, whether or not we think
or feel we are God’s amazing creation, we are! God’s Word even says God made us
fearfully which means He made us awesomely. Do you think or feel awesome? I
don’t most the time, but God thinks I am, so I am! I do believe God thinks of us as
His beloved wonder women (excuse my modernization). Psalm 139:14 says,
I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are
Thy works, And my soul knows it very well. (NASB)
Read Psalm 139:1-16 to give you some information on Who God is and how
wonderfully He has made you. Make a list of what you have learned about
God from Psalm 139. Since God created you wonderfully and fearfully, what
does this knowledge tell you? Do you think since God created you, that He
would automatically think of you as beautiful? Remember, He created you to
love you forever!
2. From a personal perspective, describe how wonderfully and fearfully God
has made you. (To answer a question like this, I know for many of us women,
it is hard to get past what we think is wrong with ourselves. However, ask
God to force you to look past your perceived negatives, and ask Him to show
you how awesomely and amazingly constructed He has made you.
Remember, a lie of our society and of course of Satan, is how important looks
are. God created us with much more than just looks. Believe me, since I am a
half century old, I need to remember this fact.) Prayerfully thank God for
making you as He did!
Day four
God’s Characteristics are Seen Through His Creation
We are going to look at God’s character throughout this study. Getting to know
each of God’s characteristics will of course enable you to get to know Him better.
Many of His characteristics are seen through His creation. As I said above, we can
see many of His characteristics in ourselves. I say this in awe, and I think you
understand why! Romans 1:20 teaches us that, God’s character, or Who He is, is seen
by the things that He has made.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and
divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made,
so that they are without excuse. (NASB)
I would like to remind you as you travel the road of life, to look for God’s
character in His creation. If you have ever seen the movie, “March of the
Penguins,” you saw the sacrificial love the penguins have for their young. I thought,
“Wow! What an example of God’s love.”
Let’s begin with the most important of God’s characteristics to us. It is His love.
God’s love permeates who He is. God is sovereign, but His rule is acted out through
His love. God is all-powerful, but every act of His power is done because of His
love. God’s act of creation was an act of love which resulted in life for all things.
God is love.
“Agape” is the Greek word that best describes God’s love. Agape means, unselfish
love that is driven by what is best for the person loved, not by the person loving. In
other words, it is an unselfish, unconditional, and sacrificial love. I think we think
God loves us out of duty not out of desire. However, “agape” love suggests that the
lover finds joy in that something or someone. In other words, God’s love is bursting
with emotion for us.
The Hebrew word that best describes God’s love is defined by the word “hesed”.
This word is translated love, unfailing love, lovingkindness, mercy, and loyalty. It is
used about 250 times in the Old Testament. It means loyal, steadfast or faithful love.
It also stresses the idea of belonging together for those involved in the love
relationship. Both words make me think of the joy and the total commitment a brideand groom have for each other on their wedding day. God has been waiting eagerly
for you to be His Bride!
1. Read about God’s love from Hosea 2:19–20, Zephaniah 3:17, Ephesians 5:2,
23-32 and Revelations 19:7-9. Write down any insights and applications that
the Spirit is giving you from these verses.
2. What does God’s love mean to you? Use a Bible verse in your answer.
(Example: When I feel unloved, I think about the fact that God loved me so
much that He died for me. (Ephesians 5:2))
3. Love should permeate everything we do. God tells us and shows us how to
love through His Word, with His Spirit. We will never completely agape love
anyone because it is a supernatural phenomenon coming from the God of
love! God does want to empower us to come as close to His love as humanly
possible. Take some time with God right now and ask Him to empower you
to love someone you don’t particularly love, with His type of love.
Prayerfully thank Him for His love of you!
We see God’s power in creation. Wouldn’t it have been quite thrilling to have
seen God create the visible universe from things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:3)?
When I think God spoke the universe and our world into being without lifting a
finger, I am dumbfounded with such power. Let’s take a look at God being allpowerful.
God is Omnipotent which means all powerful, almighty
Many leaders throughout history have done awful and quite horrifying things
because they have the power to do them. Think of Hilter. Just turn on the TV and
you will hear how someone has misused his power. No one or nothing can stop
God from doing what He wants to do with His power. Aren’t you so glad His
power is permeated by His love? If you doubt that His love leads His power, just
think about His willingness to put Himself in the control of sinful men and die from
a man-made torture, death by crucifixion out of His love for you.
4. Read about God’s power from Psalm 62:11, Daniel 4:34-35, and John 11:33-
45. Write down any insights and applications the Spirit is giving you from
these verses.
5. What does God’s power mean to you? Use a Bible verse in your answer.
(Example: When I am powerless to change my situation, I need to trust in
God, who can turn death into life. (John 11:43–44))
6. No one in history has been all powerful like God except for Jesus Christ.
Some people would like to be all powerful, but thank God they are not.
Power does seem to corrupt sooner or later. As Christians, God certainly
won’t make us all powerful, but He does want us to have access to the power
we need to live the right way, which is His way. We get His power by being
connected to Him through His Spirit. Personalize 2 Timothy 1:7 by writing
the verse out and putting your name where the word “us” is.
For God has not given us [gini] a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and
discipline. (NASB)
Day 5
If God Created Us Wonderfully, Why Isn’t life Perfect?
In Genesis 2:16-17, God gave Adam and Eve just one command that they needed
to obey. Disobedience to God meant grave consequences, and what happened was
completely life altering. A world-wide nuclear war would have had less life
changing effects on all of us than what Adam and Eve did! They ate from the tree
that gives the knowledge of good and evil (or bad). This disobedience brought the
awful consequences of sin and death into God’s perfectly created world.
1. Read Genesis 2 and 3 and summarize the 2 chapters or draw a picture of
what goes on in each chapter. This will help you to remember and
understand what you read. Do you see a contrast between these two
chapters? If you do, write it out.
2. End of the lesson application: Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind
one thing you learned from this lesson that He wants you to remember and
make a part of your life. Be quiet before God and wait on Him to tell you.
Write it down and ask Him to help you to do it!
Prayerfully plan an outdoor outing with God this week. I like to drive
somewhere, where I can safely observe His creation, and talk to Him about it.
Or, you might want to take a walk and enjoy His creation. If you are doing
this study in a group setting, be ready to share your outdoor experience with
God to your group.
