Dear Friends,
I've been reflecting on the theme of goodness in the creation account in Genesis 1. This week, I've arrived at the creation of human beings.
"Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'
"So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. . . .
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
(Genesis 1:26-31)
When God had made humans as a living self-portrait, he sat back and surveyed everything with satisfaction, assessing his creation this time not only as "good" but as "very good." Sometimes I like to just slow down, remind myself of this fact, and let it sink in. You and I have been created to be like God, and this is very good. We mess up a lot of things and have strayed far from our intended purpose. But we are made to be God's own children. We are well designed and, in our true, original, God-given identity, we are good. What a wonderful affirmation!
Those of us who are in Jesus have not yet arrived, but we have embraced our original identity and are on a messy journey back to the goodness we were made for.
A prayer for today:
God, thank you for creating me. Thank you for making me as a reflection of yourself and declaring your goodness over me. Let me rejoice in this truth. Forgive me for the ways I have not fulfilled your purposes in my life. Turn my heart and my steps away from everything that does not reflect your goodness and make me into the person you have meant for me to be. Amen
Love in Christ,
Michelle
