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 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 an animal whose life was over when a pulse was stilled, 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”(Genesis 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 God can do with a little dirt.

No wonder He put Adam 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 crashed into 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 Corinthians 4:6).  No source within us can produce the power necessary to perfect our own 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, and in Him there is no darkness at all”(1 John 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 nobody was around 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, and 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 the 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 their lanky necks and nibble crisp leaves blowing in the trees. But for now, no sign of life was stirring.  The shapeless something that was there seemed good for nothing. But it was not, 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 hearts 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.