EVE

“It is not good for man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.”   Genesis 2:18

Something wasn’t right.  No matter where he looked, everyone had someone—the doe pranced with poise beside the buck, the cow munched her lunch with the bull, and the tigress slinked slyly by the tiger.  Doves cooed together.  Swans swam together.  Squirrels scampered together.  But Adam was alone.

Something was missing, but he didn’t know what.  Perhaps a rest would set things right.

While Adam dozed, God designed.  He knew the “what” was really a “who.”  “It is not good for man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.”  A rib would be just right since this helper would be by his side, close to his heart, and in his arms, s0 God extracted and then He crafted.

She would be soft and strong.  One who would nurture but who also had needs.  She would laugh with him and dance with him. Cheer in his victories and cry in his failures.  She would share and she would care.  She would help him.  She would hold him.  And together, they would be whole.

Adam woke from his sleep but was sure he was still dreaming.  What exactly was this lovely creature coming his way?  God had brought each animal for Adam to name, but He had certainly saved the best till last! (At first Adam was speechless but finally managed to utter an astounded, “Wow, man!” – which, when shortened, became “woman.”) In truth, Adam had much to say, for the attraction was instant and the connection complete.  He exulted in God’s gift and said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she will be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man”(Gen. 2:23).  She had come from him.  She would be for him.  She was a perfect fit in every way.

He reached for her hand and gently clasped her fingers between his own.  A pair of eagles dipped their wings approvingly as they sailed overhead.  A duo of dolphins nudged each other knowingly, then dipped into the deep.  And Adam and Eve walked off—together.

Minus one bone.  Plus one beauty.

Small wonder guys think naps are divine!

Adam

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image.’”  Genesis 1:26

All was alive and well.  And good.  Planets twirled and stars twinkled.  Butterflies flitted and fireflies glowed.  A whale splashed his tail, and sunlight danced on droplets diving back into the sea.  A lion shook his shaggy mane and thundered a weighty roar, but the best was yet to come.

“And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” 

A little dirt would do just fine.  The Potter picked up the clay and began to mold His magnum opus.  Two arms and two legs.  Two hands finished with graceful fingers.  Two feet ending in wiggly toes.  Eyes which would gaze at painted sunsets and glisten with salty tears.  A nose to notice the flower’s fragrance and know when his food was on fire!  Ears for the waterfall’s loud rush and his wife’s soft whispers.  A mouth to taste and to talk.  A heart to pulse with life and love.

The man would not exist by instinct or impulse but would have the capacity to choose, to care, to challenge.  He would crave to connect and long to be loved.  Made with the ability to make up his mind or to make someone’s day, his time would best be spent in relationship with God and with others.  And unlike the animals whose lives were over when life was over, the soul of the man would never cease. 

The form now finished, it was time for the grand finale.  “And God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul”(Gen 2:7).  The special creature stirred and drew in God’s breath as his very own.  Energy from the Almighty flowed into his body and jump-started his heart.  He was awake.  He was aware.  He was alive!

It’s amazing what can be done with a little dirt.

No wonder God put him in a garden.

Light

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”  Genesis 1:3

The Artist began His work with a stroke of brilliance.  At His command, light came crashing through the darkness, dismissing the gloom and illuminating the deep.  Golden beams bounded through the universe and filled the shadowy space with brightness.  Unlike the rays of the sun, which stream from self-consuming combustion, the sole source of this light was the power of God’s word and the presence of His will. 

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” 

All life to come would depend on light.  Plants, animals, and people would need its warmth and radiance to survive.  Without light, they could not grow, they could not see, they could not be.

Now, as then, our life depends upon His light.  “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”(2 Cor. 4:6).  No source within us can produce the power necessary to perfect our souls.  We may consume ourselves and those around us while trying, but only the Word and the will of the Almighty bring light and life. 

Then, as now, God chose to not obliterate the darkness completely.  Instead He opted for separation – the contrast providing us opportunity for realization and rest.  But one day He will.  God will speak again, forever damning the darkness and eternally illuminating His new creation with Himself, for “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all”(1 Jn 1:5).

The Word of God is the Light of the World.

Live in His brilliance.

God Was There

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”  Genesis 1:1b

It wasn’t much to look at, and no one was there to see it. 

The lump of matter we call Earth was a wasteland.  Formless and empty and dark.  Covered with deep water and silent blackness, the desolate mass appeared stagnant and useless.

But it was not, for God was there.

Biding and brooding, the Holy One hovered over the surface.   His Spirit surrounded the stillness and enveloped the emptiness.  Although no potential for change lay within the matter, all possibility lived in the Maker.

Very soon, seagulls would soar in the breeze, squawking rudely at tiny crabs scampering across salty sand.  Before long, busy bees would flit among bright flowers, sampling sweet nectar and gathering golden pollen.  In just a few days, giraffes would stretch lanky necks and nibble crisp leaves high in blowing trees.  But for now, no sign of life was stirring.  The shapeless something that was there seemed good for nothing. But it wasn’t, for God was there.

And neither are we, for God is there.  When we aren’t much to look at and no one is around to see us, God is there.  When our heart are wastelands and our souls seem stagnant, God is there.  He is hovering.  He is holding.  He is surrounding.  He will envelop our emptiness and cover our chaos.  God is there, waiting to create a masterpiece out of our mess.  His Spirit will move when the time is right, so until then, surrender to His stillness and rest in His deep Presence.

The earth was barren before it was beautiful.

And God was there — in both.

The Beginning

“In the beginning, God…”  Genesis 1:1

“I just don’t get it!” my then eight year old exclaimed.  “I’m okay with God never ending, but I can’t understand how He never had a beginning!”  My daughter was not the first of God’s children to grapple with His dual infinity, and any attempt to explain divine eternity was woefully inadequate for none of us can fully grasp this profound fact.  But even though we can’t wrap our minds around such staggering reality, we should gladly wrap our hearts.

“In the beginning, God…”  If we believe the first four words of the Bible, the rest is easy.  Fashioning a universe and forming the earth, crafting animals and creating humans, and starting nations and shaking kingdoms pose no problem for a God so powerful that He’s always been.  Healing the sick, helping the needy, controlling winds, commanding demons, and conquering the grave are easy for a God of eternal existence.

Before space was shaped, God was.  Before angels were around, God was.  Before any speck of anything was, God was.  And He always was.

We are too finite to fathom such splendor.  Too small to comprehend such majesty.   But while our perception is limited, our adoration should be limitless.  The ageless God deserves endless praise. 

Be amazed and marvel.  Wonder and worship.  God is big.  God is boundless.  God is before—and after.  He always was.  He always is.  He always will be.

“In the beginning, God…”

The Old Rugged Cross

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross. And on that cross, the only One who never sinned became our sin so that we might become right with God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Tens of thousands of lambs had given their lives so that sin’s penalty could be delayed, but it could not be dismissed.  “The wages of sin is death,” and the holiness of God demands absolute justice.  We all stood convicted and condemned.  The price of our rebellion?  Death.  Not merely the separation of the spirit from the body but the separation of the soul from God—forever.  We were hopeless and helpless with each sentenced to eternal doom for his own depravity.

Only one who deserved none of the punishment could pay it.  Only one who was perfect could say, “Put it all on me,” and, “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly”(Romans 5:6).

Nails pierced his hands and feet, but love held Him to the cross.  In the ultimate act of surrender and sacrifice, Jesus died our death.  The sun stopped shining as the Light of the World was darkened with our sin. The Father ripped Himself away from the Son, and in the pain and horror of their separation the eternal price for our rebellion was paid. “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”(Hebrews 10:10).  Oh, what grace--shocking, astounding, amazing, and marvelous! 

“It is finished,” Jesus cried, but may our worship and wonder never cease.

The Scent of Sacrifice

“She broke the jar and poured the perfume.”  Mark 14:3

She gave all she had.  All she had gathered from the past.  All she had garnered for the future.  Bound in a box of stone, the pint of perfume was worth at least a year’s wages, but on that evening in Bethany, Mary surrendered her savings and her security when she opened the jar and anointed Jesus.

Some with Him were appalled.  “What a waste!” they accused.  “Such large treasure could have done much good.  She should have helped out the poor instead of pouring it out.” The rebuke from Jesus came quickly and sternly.  “Leave her alone.  She did something beautiful. She prepared my body for burial.  The needy aren’t going anywhere, but I am.  And for the record, from now on, her story will be shared everywhere my story is spread.”

The last drops fell from His feet to the floor.  The box lay broken, but the aroma lingered in the air.  Nothing smells sweeter than the scent of sacrifice. 

The gift was expensive and priceless.  It was extravagant and precious. And no present has ever been more appropriate.

We will never give more than He is worth.