Jonathan Edwards: Loved by the Creator

On October 5, 1703, in East Windsor, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards was

bornthe son of Timothy Edwards, a pastor, and Esther Edwards, his wife.

Young Jonathan soon found himself surrounded by ten sisters, whobecause of

their average height of six feetcame to be identified by the townsfolk as

Timothy’s sixty feet of daughters.

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Jonathan was a gifted child and progressed easily through his father’s

rigorous home schooling and, at a young age, came to trust Jesus Christ as

his Savior. From very early on, Jonathan was concerned about his

relationship with God. At times, he worried about the possibility that he

was not converted. His diary provided

him a tool for examining what God had done in his life. As he approached

his nineteenth birthday, he even wrote his Resolutions, a series of

instructions for life and guidelines for personal examination. For

Jonathan, these resolutions became a spiritual discipline that encouraged

him in his walk with Christ and were one of two great interests in his

young life.

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The second area of young Jonathan’s interest was the creation around him.

He was fascinated with the star-studded sky and God’s bountiful display

laid out in nature. As he walked daily in the densely wooded New England

countryside, he would spend hours contemplating the intricacies of a spider

web or the wonders of creation all around him.

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But Jonathan’s curiosity and delight in God, His works, and His world

lingered long beyond his teenage years. Edwards entered Yale College at age

thirteen, later graduated with a master’s degree, and was eventually called

to pastor a church in Northampton, Massachusetts.

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Like Jonathan Edwards, we as Christians can take great comfort in God’s

love for us in Jesus, reveling in the beauty of the universe He made and

knowing that He walks alongside us no matter what challenges we face in our

walk with Him. Mark Congrove

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Jonathan Edwards grew in his faith by reflecting on his Creator while

spending time in nature. Consider setting aside time each day to think

about the wonders of creation. What are some ways you could take notice of

some of the small details God included in His world?

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Read Philippians 4:8 and Ephesians 5:15-17. How can setting goals further

our walk with Jesus?

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Pay careful attention, then, to how you walknot as unwise people but as

wisemaking the most of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians

5:15-16 (CSB)

Read Verses:

1 Timothy 4:7-1 Timothy 4:8; Ephesians 5:15-Ephesians 5:16