Usually, when I get a list of books available for review, I don’t get excited. Most of them are stories, general Christian living helps, or touchy/feely stuff I couldn’t care less about. But, a couple weeks ago, one came available I was thrilled to apply for!
Purposeful Design, Understanding the Creation by Jay Schabacker is a delightful exploration of the Creation Week, giving us examples of how to apply it to our lives and thinking. There are seven chapters, each covering principles we can gather from God’s activities each day.
I especially enjoyed his wisdom on the different ways plants and animals make our lives rich and full. He covered the important role the moon has in helping the earth function well for life. Sometimes the focus was on the big picture:
- What keeps the universe going?
- How are plants useful?
- What causes the seasons?
- Instincts
- What makes people special?
- What makes me special?
Sometimes he explored a single example of a principle in action. He seems to really like the moon. He also likes apples, camels, and ice.
In every area discussed in Genesis Chapter One, Schabacker helps us think of ways we can be thankful to our Creator.
Click to read the author’s biography- it’s cool!
This book is not designed to cover any area of creation science in depth. Instead, it reads more like a celebration of God’s handiwork. It’s laid out in a coffee table format with large photos and text broken into bite-sized pieces. In fact, it only took me about an hour to read through the whole thing since I didn’t stop to savor things much.
What the book shines at is introducing people to what it looks like to think about creation as the Bible shows us. Here are some ways you could use it:
- Give a new believer to introduce them to creationist thinking
- As a starting point for a Sunday School class (easily adapted to any age)
- Keep on your coffee table for visitors
- Read through during family time
Now, it’s your turn to check Purposeful Design out! When I checked out Jay Schabacker’s website, I was thrilled to see he’s made several chapters from the book available for free. You can see the style of the book and absorb some of the most important sections to decide for yourself if it’s worth the investment.
There are a few things you should be aware of before getting your own copy. The book uses a number of low quality stock photos that show pixelation. It would have been nice if they had been sharper, but you can easily tell what they’re showing. Other than that, the book is a glossy and high quality hardcover.
You can purchase Understanding Design directly from the author (and get a signed copy, plus bulk discounts) or get it for about the same price at Amazon.
We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. Psalm 78:4
Disclaimer: I got a free review copy from the author. I wasn’t told what to write; all thoughts are my own.
