February 14

Nature as His book

Ellen G. White

"Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee." — Job 12:8 · KJV

Jesus also loved to study the wonderful things which God had made, in the earth and in the sky. In this book of nature He saw the trees and plants and animals, and the sun and the stars.

Day by day He watched them, and tried to learn lessons from them, and to understand the reason of things.

Holy angels were with Him, and helped Him to learn from these things about God. Thus, as He grew in height and strength, He grew also in knowledge and wisdom.

Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. We should spend our time in learning only that which is true. Falsehood and fables will do us no good.

Only the truth is of any value, and this we may learn from God's Word and from His works. As we study these things the angels will help us to understand.

We shall see the wisdom and goodness of our heavenly Father. Our minds will be strengthened, our hearts will be made pure, and we shall be more like Christ.

Every year Joseph and Mary went up to Jerusalem, to the feast of the Passover. When Jesus was twelve years old, they took Him with them.

This was a pleasant journey. The people traveled on foot, or rode on oxen or asses, and it took several days to go. The distance from Nazareth to Jerusalem is about seventy miles. From all parts of the land, and even from other countries, the people went to this feast, and those from the same place usually traveled together, in a large company.