I am reposting this from awhile back. Still one of my favorite lessons from Creation.
I took Rachael Carmen’s advice last weekend at Apologia Live. She mentioned how we should use the season of Spring to point our kids to the Lord. Notice Him in the simple daily things. Look at what He has done when he springs forth life from a dead winter each spring.
I took out a dried bean the other day. I said to the kids, “Let’s watch God’s miracle happen. Let’s see what happens to this dried up bean, when given light and water.”
I placed it in sunshine and added a bit of water. A few days later and look:
I called the kids,“Come and see! This dead bean has burst forth with life! Look what God does! Look!”
They all came running in to see. That dead bean had sprouted with life.
We talked about how the bean needed water and the sun.
We need water. We need the SON. We need Him to grow! We need His Light. His Living Water.
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
“but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14
And then, I continued…“Look! Look at the roots! The dead shell of the bean is gone, and the roots are searching. Looking to bury themselves deep in the water.”
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8
I love this bean. I have it set on our table. I see His example.
He takes our old, dried, up shell that is in darkness. He releases us from the shell, and we burst forth in the Light and living on water. We plant our roots. We are made new.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17
I was that bean. Dead. But He brought me forth with life. From His Living Water and His Son. I am new!
Use these lessons in nature. See Him in everything. Show your kids the Him through these simple examples, yet full of so much Truth.
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24
Since then, we have been watching that bean sprout keep growing, but this week it tied in perfectly with our devotion from yesterday. You see, the bean had sprouted some new beans, and then they withered this week. The bean sprout, which was once growing so quickly before our eyes each day, has pretty much stopped. The roots have been going down, and searching for soil, but have found none.
We are just like that. We can grow very quickly, but if we do not have good and rich soil for our roots to take hold of, we will not grow to our potential with God.
Sure, we may grow quickly at first, but without proper nourishment, we stop bearing fruit, and we don’t reach our full potential.
Last year in our garden we had tons of green beans. The kids and I spent time remembering how tall they grew, and how they spread all over the garden, intertwining with other vines and becoming so strong. Just like we will- if we have the proper soil to nurture us, we will grow to our greatest potential, bearing much fruit. We will intertwine with others, growing stronger.
I am in awe of how God uses His Creation to demonstrate so many things. The kids can make connections to His Word when they see real life things in comparison. It paints a beautiful picture for them.
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