The Bible and the
Environment
Today's Snack:
Have a GREEN snack today! Broccoli spears, cucumber rounds, celery sticks and
zucchini slices are all green, and all yummy dipped in green guacamole or ranch
dressing. You can drop a few drops of green food coloring into the dressing,
and even into some milk to drink, to make it a totally green snack!
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Supplies:
Bible | drawing paper
| colored pencils or markers
Lead a discussion about how God made the world and everything in
it. He commands us, in the Bible, to take care of His environment, which He
provided for us to have everything we need.
While the leader reads these verses and leads the discussion, the
students can be drawing pictures of God's world to bring home. You can draw your
favorite animal, a nature scene, or anything about the environment that you
would like.
The Bible contains numerous examples of the care with which we are
expected to treat the environment. Turn to these verses and read them aloud:
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Genesis 1 - God made the world, and saw that "it
was very good."
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Leviticus 25:1-12 speaks of the care Israel was to have
for the land.
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Deuteronomy 25:4 and 22:6
indicate the proper care for domestic animals and a respect for wildlife.
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In Proverbs 12:10, we are told that a
righteous person carefully looks after animals in his care, but a wicked person
is cruel.
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In Isaiah 5:8-10 the Lord judges those who
have misused the land.
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Job 38:25-28 and Psalm
104:27-30 speak of God's nurture and care for His creation.
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Psalm 104 tells us that certain places were made
with certain animals in mind. This would make our national parks and wilderness
preserves a Biblical concept.
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Jesus spoke
on two occasions of how much the Father cared for even the smallest sparrow (Matt. 6:26, 10:29). How can we do less?