Does God Exist? Where Does Life Come From? | Bible Reading Plan for Seekers | January 5  

🌱 A Warm Welcome

Welcome to our 365-Day Journey to Discover God!

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different kinds of living things on Earth?

The oceans are filled with colorful fish, birds fly across the sky, wild animals roam through forests, and countless tiny creatures live all around us. Some animals are enormous, while others are so small that we barely notice them.

We may encounter animals and plants every day, or watch fascinating wildlife videos online, without stopping to ask: Where did all these living things come from? Why is life so wonderfully diverse?

Today, we'll continue reading Genesis 1 and explore how the Bible describes the appearance of living creatures in the sea, the sky, and on land.

Perhaps you already have your own understanding of life's origins, or maybe you still have many questions. Either way, you're welcome to explore this ancient account with curiosity and an open mind.

📖 Bible Background | How Does Genesis Describe the Beginning of Life?

Genesis is the first book of the Bible. Its opening chapter tells the story of God creating the heavens and the earth.

Through a sequence of creation days, the chapter describes light and darkness, the sky and seas, dry land and vegetation, and eventually the appearance of living creatures.

Today's passage takes place on the fifth and sixth days of creation.

On the fifth day, God commands the waters to bring forth living creatures and birds to fly above the earth. The passage specifically mentions great whales, various creatures that move in the waters, and winged birds.

On the sixth day, God commands the earth to bring forth living creatures, including cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth.

Throughout these descriptions, we encounter a repeated expression: "after their kind."

This phrase emphasizes the variety and distinct kinds of living creatures in the creation account. The passage is not a modern biology textbook, nor does it explain the scientific processes through which life developed. Instead, it presents a central biblical belief: the diversity of living things belongs to the world God created.

Today, we'll focus on the creation of animals. The following verses will introduce the creation of human beings.

🌿 A Look Back | From the Formation of the World to the Appearance of Life

In our earlier readings, we began with the first sentence of Genesis, where the Bible introduces God as Creator. We also explored Psalm 19 and considered how the beauty of the heavens might inspire questions about the One who made them.

As Genesis 1 unfolds, the creation account gradually paints a picture of the world taking shape. Light is separated from darkness, the sky and seas are given their places, dry land appears, plants grow, and the sun, moon, and stars are described as lights that mark days and seasons.

Today, the picture becomes much more lively.

The waters, skies, and land begin to fill with living creatures. Fish move through the sea, birds fly overhead, and animals live on the earth.

Through these verses, we discover that the Bible's creation story is concerned not only with the formation of the world but also with the life that fills it.

🔎 Today's Introduction | Why Is Life So Diverse?

Imagine a world with mountains, rivers, and beautiful skies—but no animals.

There would be no fish swimming in the oceans, no birds singing in the trees, and no animals running across the fields. Even if the scenery remained beautiful, the world would feel strangely empty.

Yet the Earth we live on is filled with an astonishing variety of life.

Some creatures live deep in the ocean, while others fly over mountains. Some are active during the day, while others search for food at night. Their bodies, behaviors, and habitats vary enormously.

Science helps us understand this diversity through the study of biology, genetics, ecosystems, and evolutionary processes.

Genesis invites us to consider a different kind of question: What place do these living creatures have in the Bible's story, and how does the Creator regard them?

One particularly interesting detail in today's passage is that God doesn't simply create the animals. He also blesses the creatures of the sea and the birds of the air.

This gives us an important insight into the biblical creation story. Animals are not merely decorations in the world, nor are they described only in terms of what they can provide for human beings. They are part of God's creation in their own right.

🎯 Today's Reflection Focus | The Diversity of Life and the Creator's Purpose

1. God Creates Living Creatures — A World Filled With Variety

Genesis 1:20 says:

"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."

The following verse describes God creating great whales, living creatures in the waters, and winged birds.

Then, on the sixth day, the earth brings forth cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth.

The repeated phrase "after their kind" draws attention to the variety of living creatures described in the creation account.

Different animals have different shapes, behaviors, and habitats. Together, they form a world filled with life and activity.

For the biblical writer, this richness is part of the work of the Creator.

As we observe nature today, we can ask ourselves: Why is life so diverse? And what does that diversity make us feel or wonder about?

2. God Saw That It Was Good — Life Has Value Beyond Its Usefulness

Genesis 1:21 tells us that God saw that His creation was good. Verse 25 repeats this statement after the creation of land animals.

Throughout Genesis 1, these words appear again and again.

It's worth noticing that God calls these creatures good before the story describes human beings making use of them or benefiting from them.

In the biblical account, God creates living creatures and regards what He has made as good.

This invites us to think about something important: Perhaps the value of life isn't measured only by what it can do for us.

A bird singing in a tree, a fish living deep in the ocean, or an animal we've never seen may each have a place in the natural world, even if they provide no obvious benefit to our daily lives.

If the Creator described in Genesis values the living creatures He has made, how might that influence the way we treat animals and the natural environment?

3. God Blesses Living Creatures — Life Is Meant to Continue

Genesis 1:22 says:

"And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth."

This is the first explicit mention of God's blessing in Genesis 1.

Interestingly, the blessing is first given to the creatures of the sea and the birds of the air.

In the biblical account, God not only brings life into existence but also blesses living creatures so that they can multiply and continue.

The creation story, then, is not only about how life begins. It also speaks about life continuing and flourishing.

For us today, this raises a practical question: If life is so diverse and valuable, should we be more thoughtful about how we treat the living things around us?

💭 Life Reflection | What If Every Living Creature Is Worth Caring For?

We live in a busy world, and it's easy to measure things by how useful they are.

Can a tree provide wood? Can a piece of land be developed? Does a particular animal benefit people?

These are practical questions, but when we see nature only in terms of usefulness, we may overlook the wonder of life itself.

Think about a small bird building a nest outside your window.

It may not provide any obvious benefit to your daily life. Yet it spends its days finding food, caring for its young, and living out its own little story.

Or consider a fish living deep in the ocean. You may never see it in person, but it is still part of the remarkable world of living things.

Genesis 1 suggests that, within the biblical story of creation, these lives are not insignificant.

God creates them, sees that they are good, and blesses them.

If you're still exploring whether God exists, you don't have to resolve every question about the origin of life today.

Instead, consider another question: Why does life move us so deeply? Why do we want to help an injured animal? Why do we feel sad when a forest is destroyed?

These feelings don't automatically prove that God exists, but they can encourage us to think more carefully about the value of life.

If the world truly is God's creation, then caring for animals, respecting living things, and protecting nature may be meaningful ways of responding to the Creator.

Perhaps discovering the Creator isn't only about learning where life came from. It may also be about learning to appreciate the life already around us.

✍️ Questions & Small Action | Notice a Living Creature Today

Questions to Think About

1. What is your favorite animal? What makes it interesting, beautiful, or remarkable to you?

2. Genesis says that God created different kinds of animals and saw that they were good. How does this compare with the way you've thought about animals and nature before?

3. If life comes from a Creator, how do you think people should treat animals and the natural environment?

Today's Small Action

Today, take a few minutes to notice a living creature around you.

It might be a bird outside your window, a squirrel in the yard, a family pet, or a tiny insect going about its day.

Observe how it moves, behaves, and interacts with its surroundings. Think about what it needs to survive.

If you have the opportunity, you might also do one small thing to care for living creatures—such as looking after a pet, avoiding unnecessary harm to animals, or being mindful of their habitats when spending time outdoors.

Then ask yourself:

"Have I been overlooking the ordinary but remarkable lives around me?"