Read: Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3

“Grandpa’s going to like that birdhouse you’re making for him, Tomás,” said Dad. “It looks great—but I see it’s not quite like the one pictured in your woodworking manual.”

“No,” replied Tomás. “I left the perch off and made the hole smaller. This way, starlings won’t move in before the songbirds get a chance.”

“Good thinking!” said Dad. “That reminds me of the model plane you made that flew twice as far after you changed the design of the wings.”

Tomás grinned. “I like to make things work better. Maybe I’ll be an engineer when I grow up.”

“I thought you didn’t like long trips,” said Tomás’s little sister, Liliana. “Wouldn’t you get tired of riding on a train all the time?”

Tomás laughed. “I don’t mean the kind of engineer who drives trains. I mean the kind of engineer who designs things, like bridges and buildings. They don’t just get thrown together. Engineers carefully figure out how to build them so they’ll be strong and safe and work the way they’re supposed to. They draw up the plans for skyscrapers and roads and all kinds of things.”

“Wow!” said Liliana. “I bet you’ll be the best engineer of all!”

Tomás grinned. “Thanks!”

“Actually, the best engineer of all made more than buildings and machines,” said Dad. “He designed the whole universe—the forests and the deserts. The canyons and the mountains. All the plants and animals. The sun and the moon and the stars. Even us!”

“I know who that is,” said Liliana. “God!”

“Right,” said Dad. “God made everything. He knew how much we’d like to watch the birds and animals, and how much we’d love climbing the mountain trails and seeing all the stars at night. He also drew up a plan to save us from sin by sending Jesus to die for us so we could be with Him and enjoy His beautiful creation forever. Aren’t you glad He created so many amazing things and carried out His wonderful plan of salvation?”

Tomás nodded. “That’s an engineering job no one could ever match!”

–Katherine E. Swarts

How about you? Are you impressed by things people make—like big buildings and new technology? God created humans with the ability to do amazing things, but only He could engineer the whole world and all that’s in it. He also drew up a plan to provide salvation—forgiveness of sins and eternal life—by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us. By trusting in Jesus, you can have eternal life and enjoy God and all His wonderful creation forever! (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: God created everything through [Jesus], and nothing was created except through him. John 1:3 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: God engineered everything