Tag: Genesis

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God is Good

Dear Sister,

Lately, I have found myself squirming in my seat when I respond, “God is good!”  Why do I squirm?  Because I type or say that when times are good and when times are bad. Just last night, I stopped to ask myself am I being a hypocrite?  No, seriously—is this an appropriate comment at all times or am I just fooling myself and using God’s name incorrectly?

After some introspection, I concluded the comment is absolutely appropriate at all times. Here is why:  God created the world.  He created man and woman.  After every day of creation, He said, “It is good!”  He didn’t make a single thing that required a “do over.”  After finishing His creative processes, He blessed Adam and Eve with the privilege of joining Him in managing this new, perfect world and in doing some creating of their own (“be fruitful and multiply”).

Thus far, all was good in the garden where God placed them, life was perfect.  Then woman and man used the good freedom God gave them to choose selfishness.  With one bite of forbidden fruit sin entered the world.  Humankind had ONE law to follow and we failed.  Now, daily, we fail abundantly.  To my sorrow, I choose self over God with tremendous ease.

Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ He provided a way of escape from this cycle of death!  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, I can say, “God is good!” at all times, for though I may be walking through the valley of the shadow of death that I richly deserve (and more besides), He is with me.  I may be profusely showered with blessings despite my sins, and again, He is so very good!

I, we, deserve nothing but condemnation and death.  Yet even while we wallowed in the mire, God gave us the life and blood of His Son and many other blessings besides.  Our very breath is a gift.

God       Is      Good,    Indeed!

Running with you,

Rebecca

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Image Redeemed

Dearest sister,

While reading Genesis I was sweetly reminded that we are made in the image of God. Not only this but God breathed into man the breath of life. Everything else He simply spoke into being. But Adam He breathed into life. Wow! Living in the garden, Adam and Eve enjoyed unadulterated communion with the Lord God. They talked with Him, walked with Him, and were unashamed before Him. Just imagine what that must have been like!

But as we continue reading Genesis we come to a pivotal point in the narrative. The serpent approaches Eve, deceives her, and Eve falls (along with her husband) into sin and darkness. Now when they hear the Lord’s voice they are afraid and hide from Him.

Dear sister, let me share with you a situation that arose in my life that reminded me of how far I fall short of reflecting God’s glory. On Thursday I drove a perfectly suitable car with a clear view out of the windshield to and from work. That night I heard a loud crashing noise right outside my window. I opened the front door only to find tree limbs at my doorstep and a giant tree trunk on my car! Thankfully, there was no structural damage but my windshield was completely shattered.

Just how in one moment I went from being the proud owner of a drivable car to bumming a ride to work the next morning, so too did Eve go from perfectly reflecting the image of God to reflecting a shattered image that could not be distinguished.

Because of Eve’s disobedience, the image of God that we still bear is now tainted with sin and its consequences of guilt, shame and fear. We can no longer see Christ clearly through the temples that the Lord designed for us.

Thankfully we are not without hope. In order to redeem His image in us, God sent His Son Jesus to perfectly reflect God’s character—a feat we are unable to accomplish because of sin. Now, those who have Christ in their lives are new creations. And as we are cleansed from our unrighteousness, we are becoming more and more like Christ.

Second Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” And Romans 8:29 assures us that “those whom [Christ] foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

These two verses state two truths. 1) we are new creations, and 2) we will be conformed to the image of Christ because those in Him have been predestined to become like Him.

Let us look forward to this new year as we lean on Him to produce in us a character that reflects the perfections of Christ.

Your Sister in Christ,

Kayla

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Red Hair and Roses

Dear Sister,

I have red hair.  I don’t think about having red hair as I’ve had it since I was born.  Every once in awhile someone will comment on it making me appreciate the gift the Lord has given me.  I am sure that you have something similar in your own life that you may take for granted because of its constant nature.  In fact, how often do I walk past a bed of flowers and take a minute to take in the wonder of the delicate details?  How often do I ponder what to eat for dinner forgetting to be thankful that I am blessed to eat dinner?  Not only do I eat dinner, but I can have Indian, Mexican, Thai, American, Italian, or McDonald’s!  The Lord has given us variety in His creation from plants, to animals, to landscapes, to faces!  We don’t eat just manna, we don’t only sit on rocks, there is more than one color, there is more than one climate!  We can taste, feel, see, hear, and touch our environment!  WOW!  Psalm 33:5 declares that “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord”.

Why is this?  Genesis chapter 1 tells us that the Lord created all of the heavens and the earth and declared them GOOD.  He is the author of goodness.  He is the definition of goodness.  And yet, since we experience His goodness on a daily basis…since it is so constant and abundant…we esteem it lightly.  Sister, this should not be.

Our Lord is good in another way that I often take for granted: Genesis 3 reports to us the beginning of the curse of the earth.  Sin entered when Adam did not trust that the Lord was good when the Lord told him not to eat of that one tree.  He believed the serpent was right and God was withholding a good thing.  From that point on the earth has been cursed and death cannot be avoided.  Yet even in this, God is good.  The first time we ever commit sin, we deserve death.  Yet the Lord in His goodness delays this punishment.  We live and breathe another day.  We receive another chance for repentance.  Sister, that is because of the goodness of the Lord.

Lastly, and most shockingly, the Lord’s ultimate goodness was seen not only by not having our sin punished immediately, but putting our punishment on His own perfect son.  Jesus took our punishment for sin and gave us His righteousness.  We are now adopted sons with full inheritance of God’s family!  We have eternal life because our sins have been forgiven!  How often do we dwell on this?  How often does the goodness of the Lord compel you to thank Him and treat others out of this thankfulness?  Do you despise the Lord by forgetting His goodness?

Oh may we not forget His constant and abundant goodness or think it as mundane.  May I thank Him for my red hair while I am also stopping to smell the roses.

Your Sister in Christ,

Colleen