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Opener
Have you ever been out for a nature walk? Perhaps it was
by a river, or in the woods? Were you following a trail or a road? Did you
get tired? Maybe a little hungry and thirsty?
Did the walk seem to take a long, long time?
How did you feel? What did you do?
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Nature Notes
There are many things that help us stay on the right path
when we are walking outside; many things that can help us watch and see when
we’re getting close to the end of our walk.
I have some stones here. Can you help me build a rock
pile? Let’s start with the four largest on the bottom and build upon those
four to see how tall we can build our tower.
When we go outside on a walk, we can use rocks like these
to build rock pile towers that mark our path so we can find our way back
home.
Let’s take our rock pile apart. Now let’s try to build individual
rock piles. If we each take four rocks and pile them up, one on top of the
other, let’s see how well we can build our separate towers.
Do the rocks stay on top of each other? Do they keep
falling down? Did you get a few to stay in place? What do you suppose could
be the problem?
When you go for a walk outside, it’s important to know
where we are going! It’s nice if you have someone with you who knows the way.
Using a map can also be very helpful, too. Did you know that building rock
piles along the trail is another way to mark your path so that you know where
you have been and when you’re getting close to the end of your walk?
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Spiritual
Connection
Rock piles are good memory makers. All throughout the
Bible, people built rock piles as memory makers. They called the rock piles
“Altars”. Men in the Bible used these altars as reminders of God, how God had
led them and the mighty miracles that God has done.
Abraham built rock pile altars everywhere he camped
because he wanted to remind everyone that God was leading him to a new
homeland.
Moses built altars to God to remind all the Israelites
that God had worked mighty miracles to free them from slavery.
Elijah built altars to remind God’s people that God is
able to save them from their enemies.
People in the Bible didn’t have a Bible to read. So, rock
pile altars were very important to them; the altars reminded them of God.
You and I have Bibles, don’t we? And yet, sometimes we
forget about God, about His mighty miracles, about His love for us. Sometimes
we forget that He can save us from all the trouble and angry feelings we
suffer from.
Did you know that Jesus said: “I Am the Way, the Truth,
and the Life”? Indeed, Bible study and prayer are the best ways to help us
remember God, who He is and how powerful He is to help us when we ask for
help.
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Photos & Prints
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Closure
Let’s remember God. Just like Abraham, Moses and Elijah –
God will hear your prayers.
Let’s remember to pray every day; to read our Bible’s
every day.
© Christine Gillan Byrne, 2013. Young
Child Ministries, 406 Polk Road 78, Mena, AR 71953 (805) 490-6055. www.youngchildministries.com.
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This particular lesson lends itself to
many topics: Equate Abraham’s long journey to his new homeland and the long,
difficult journey of the Israelites to the promised land to our life here on
earth as we wait for Christ’s return; the forgetfulness of God’s people and
God’s power and willingness to save them with our forgetfulness to ask God
for His help. God wants us to trust in Him for everything. God wants us to
turn to Him for everything. Rock piles are wonderful object lessons, so use
them to help your children understand the power of God to save and make it
really relevant and personal. God can save us from our temper tantrums,
fussiness, disobedient heart, angry thoughts, willfulness, temptation to do
wrong…
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