God, Our Creator

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s Truth for us one drive at a time! Umm . . . this season, that’s one tractor drive at a time, as we experience faith lessons from the barnyard. 

You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus.

On today’s episode, Dannah Gresh invites Staci Rudolph—and you–over for a cup of tea at her farmhouse. Dannah’s kitchen has big windows, and sometimes she gets some very fun visitors. Staci is a little surprised because she’s expecting a human visitor. But she quickly realizes when you’re on the Gresh farm, the visitors aren’t always human! But they do always have a lesson to teach you about God’s power and His character. Here’s a hint: we might be visited by a creature teacher.

Let’s get this tractor moving for the second episode of season 5, titled, “God, Our Creator!” Here’s Staci.

Staci Rudolph: Dannah, you have the best kitchen. It’s so cozy and welcoming. I always feel at home when I’m here.

Dannah Gresh: Aw, thanks Staci. I love cooking for people. It’s one way I like to express love to my friends and family. You know, it is a little chilly this morning. I was wondering if you’d want to have a hot cup of tea with me?

Staci: Is that even a question? You know I’m a tea drinker! 

Dannah: Yes, the whole True Girl world is aware if they’ve done one of our online Bible studies! I thought you might say “yes,” so let me pour some hot water for you.

I have some snacks here for you to nibble on.

Staci: Yum . . . fruit, biscotti, mini-muffins . . . and peanuts? No offense, Dannah, but that seems like a weird thing to eat in the morning with hot tea.

Dannah: Well, those peanuts aren’t really for you. I have another guest who’s about to arrive any minute now.

Staci: Really? Is it someone I know? I love getting to know new people. Any tips on what kind of questions I should ask him?

Dannah: You can ask him anything you want, but I think you’re gonna be disappointed when he doesn’t answer you.

Staci: Dannah . . . I don’t want to scare you, but there is a GIGANTIC bird tapping on your window . . . and he looks hungry!

Dannah: My guest has arrived! That’s Napoleon; he’s my Indian peacock. And he’s today’s creature teacher. 

Every morning Napoleon and his friend Bonaparte over there (he’s a black-shouldered peacock) come onto my deck. Napoleon is a little more tame, so he’s the one who always taps on the window and waits for . . . you guessed it: peanuts! Let’s feed them some.

Staci: Oh, now I see why you said your guest won’t answer any of my questions. Napoleon only speaks “peacock,” not “Staci!”

Dannah: Exactly! Oh look, Staci. Napoleon is showing off his beautiful tail feathers! Isn’t that magnificent?

Staci: Wow! I’ve never been so close to a peacock when he fans his tail out like that! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful! Those colors and designs in peacock tail feathers—blue, brown, gold, green. I mean, it makes me kind of happy. 

Dannah: I completely agree, Staci. I want to tell you something amazing about the peacock’s feathers. But to do that, I need to introduce our verse of the day. It’s from Genesis chapter 1. Let me turn there. 

The beginning of the book of Genesis, chapters 1–11, it tells the story of God and the start of the whole world. Let me read the first verse to you.

Staci: Seems like your bird is all about today’s Bible verse!

Dannah: So am I. Here’s Genesis 1:1.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Staci: I believe that, completely. God has no beginning and no end. And He created our world. As the Master Artist, He created this planet! 

Dannah: Yes.

Staci: The next verse goes on to describe the darkness and emptiness that existed before God created. And then it tells how God created beauty and order from that including land and plants and animals and humans. He made a place where we can flourish.

And God kept standing back and taking stock of His work. When He did, He kept sayin’ the same thing over and over again. 

He said, “It is good!”

And what He meant was, “I enjoy you, you big furry bear.” Or, “I feel happy when I see you, you magnificent horse!”

God felt the goodness and expressed it when He observed what He’d made.

And we can feel joy and happiness when we see creation, too! 

Dannah: Yes, Staci. I get that “it is good” feeling when I see the animals on my farm, like this magnificent guy! I feel the goodness through and through!

Have you ever heard of a guy named Charles Darwin?

Staci: I remember hearing about him in school. He didn’t believe that God created the earth and all the animals. Right? 

Dannah: That’s right. 

Staci: Charles Darwin believed the earth and everything in it sort of just “happened.” He called it “Evolution.” 

Dannah: Yeah. It’s a bit more complicated than that, but basically, that’s what he believed. He believed all the animals that are alive today survived because they were the strongest, smartest, and best. He called his theory or idea “survival of the fittest.” He wrote about that in a book way back in 1859.

Well, less than one year after he wrote about this theory or idea, something about peacocks really threw Mr. Darwin into a tailspin. He sent a letter to a friend, and in it he wrote:

The sight of a feather in a peacock’s tail, whenever I gaze at it, makes me feel sick.

Staci: Now, that’s just silly! How could that beautiful thing make anyone feel sick? 

Dannah: Well, here’s the thing: the peacock’s tail didn’t fit with his idea that those animals and birds that are strongest, smartest and best are the ones that we have on the planet today, because they survived all the predators that wanted to, well, eat them for lunch! 

You see, Darwin knew that those fancy feathers don’t make the bird more fit for survival. Actually, they make everything about surviving harder. For example, flying is harder, not easier. Because the tails only let them fly short distances.

Staci: You mean to tell me that peacocks fly? I didn’t know that! 

Dannah: They sure do! Also, their feathers make running more difficult, because they are heavy. It slows them down if they have to make a fast getaway.

And, on top of all that, if Napoleon has his feathers all spread out into a fan and something stalks him to try to hurt him, it takes time to “take down” his magnificent feather tail so he can get away.

Staci: So, he can’t just do a quick superhero switcheroo? 

Dannah: Nope. Those feathers make it difficult to survive out there in the wild! And that disturbed Charles Darwin. Those feathers didn’t fit his theory that the animals on our planet are here because they are the ones who easily survived out there in the wild with predators.

Here’s what I think: When Charles Darwin looked at a peacock’s magnificent tail, he realized that what he’d written couldn’t be true. 

You see, the peacock Darwin saw was doing what God designed it to do. It was being a creature teacher that told Darwin about God, our Creator!

Staci: Wow. So even the Father of Evolution was reminded that God created this world when He looked at a peacock.

But Dannah, if the feathers make it harder for peacocks to fly, run, and get away from danger, then what is their purpose?

Dannah: Well, male peacocks do use them to attract a mate, but sometimes when there’s another male in the area, they’ll fan their tails to just kind of be territorial and say, “This is my space.” But other than that, it really seems as though that beautiful tail is mostly for reminding people that God created. 

Let me explain that.

Every year Napoleon’s tail feathers all fall out.

Staci: Really?

Dannah: Yep, but they start to grow back right away. You see how it creates a fan shape right?And the end of each feather has that circle shape. We call that the “eye” of the feather, and those eyes are all evenly distributed.

Well, all of that is pretty much a miracle!

Mathematicians have marveled about this for a long time. You see, for those tail feathers to grow like that takes hundreds of math calculations, but somehow it grows perfectly every year on every peacock! 

Staci: Wow! 

Dannah: Mathematicians call it a “mathematical improbability.” In other words, it cannot just happen . . . unless an all-powerful God designed it and orchestrated it. 

Staci: Ah! Now, I really feel that “it is good” feeling that God had when He first created the world! 

Ya know, as I’m looking all around me right now at trees, flowers, grass, the sky, and Napoleon the peacock snacking on his peanuts, it’s pretty amazing the joy it gives me.

True girl, I don’t know about you, but I am feeling all kinds of warm, fuzzy feelings right now. To think that God created so many beautiful and amazing creatures for us to enjoy is just almost too much for me to handle!

Dannah: That’s how I feel every morning when Napoleon comes looking for his peanuts! My heart just agrees with God. You know what? Sometimes I actually say out loud, “It is good.”

Staci: True girl, I have an idea. Today, I want you to look outside or go outside and tell God, “Thank You.” Thank Him for every beautiful, amazing thing you see. Like, “Thank You for the buds on that tree!” “Thank You for the blue sky!” “Thank You for how my cat purrs!” or, “Thank You for the feeling of the breeze on my face!” Maybe even say, “It is good.” Agree with Him that what He created brings joy and happiness.

Dannah: That is a great assignment, Staci. 

Staci: I think Napoleon wants another peanut.

Claire: Did you love meeting today’s creature teacher, Napoleon the peacock? Every time you meet a peacock—not like you meet one every day—but when you see one or a photo of one, remember that they are proof of God, our Creator! They could not have “just happened.” Maybe you can even say what God said when He saw the peacock in His creation: It is good!

Hey, if you enjoyed today’s lesson from the barnyard, you might also love this month’s True Girl subscription, because the box we’re shipping now is The Barnyard Box. We’ll ship it in May and June of 2022, until supplies run out that is! 

It features a biblical lesson in obedience, and you’ll learn it through a barnyard favorite: the horse! Subscribe today to get The Barnyard Box at MyTrueGirl. It includes, a mom+daughter date plan, stickers, and lots of fun horse-themed gifts to build obedience into your heart and life!

Wait, wait! Don’t fall asleep! Next time on the True Girl Podcast, we’re going to introduce you to a lullaby. Not a lullaby song, but a lullaby llama! She’s going to teach us a valuable lesson about how we judge each other based on appearance. (Hint: we shouldn’t do that!)

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts. Calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

You know, we wrote and produced a song titled, “It Is Good.” Instead of the True Girl theme song, I thought maybe I’d play it for you. It can help you worship God while you observe creation on your drive today. This is “It Is Good” from the True Girl Original Album.

Song: “It Is Good”

The morning light,
The birds that fly,
Creation comes alive when You speak.
The day, the night,
The water under the sky,
You breathe life into everything.

I believe You.
See the beauty that You make.
Rocks cry out, praise Your name.
Forever, they sing forever.

You make all things;
You make all things;
And You say it is good.
You make all things;
You make all things;
And You say it is good.
It is good.
It is good.

From deep inside
To the color of my eyes,
Every detail is a masterpiece.
You made me whole,
My dreams You’ve always known,
When I feel broken I will still believe.

I see the beauty that You made.
I’ll cry out praise Your name.
Forever, I’ll sing forever.

You make all things;
You make all things;
And You say it is good.
You make all things;
You make all things;
And You say it is good.
It is good.
It is good.

It’s in Your image everything holds together,
And I stand in awe.
‘Cause You govern the stars and You hold my heart
In Your hands.

You make all things;
You make all things;
And You say it is good.
You make all things;
You make all things;
And You say it is good.
It is good.
It is good.