Month: October 2024

Genesis 1:24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 

God created light and darkness, sky and sea and dry ground, vegetation of all kinds, the sun and moon, the creatures under the sea and the creatures on the land, and he saw that it was good. Only then did he make mankind in His likeness, to rule over the sea, the birds, the sky, the livestock, the wild animals, “over all the creatures that move along the ground.” I find this progression fascinating.

Genesis 1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Sometimes, often, I think humans see themselves as the star of the show of creation, and while verse 26 does say “so that they may rule over…,” it is hard for me to believe that God would create everything from nothing and then create humans to rule over everything and not expect humans to be stewards of all those things. I think sometimes we forget the stewardship part and just focus on the “ruling over all” bit. Jesus, Help us!

Genesis 1:26 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.”

Precious Savior, Your creation is awe-inspiring and sometimes terrifying. Thank You for the care that you took with all of creation. Thank You that You saw fit to allow us to be stewards of all that You created. Help us to take that role seriously. Help us to tend to Your world with love and care. Amen.

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 1:21a So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. 

When I think of the creatures of the sea, I’m immediately transported to a beach, with a cup of coffee, watching the sunrise, seeing dolphin fins cresting the water. Beautiful. And watching the sand crabs and ghost crabs skittering across the sand, burrowing into their homes. They aren’t exactly beautiful, but they definitely make me laugh. I can see why God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:21b And God saw that it was good. 

But there are also sharks, which terrify me–though I did see a baby hammerhead washed up on the shore once. It was fascinating and deeply sad. There are also jellyfish, which I try to stay away from, though watching them undulate in the water is truly hypnotic. There are fish of all varieties, so much life teeming under the seas. Yeah, I can see why God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 

Precious Savior, As I started this devo this morning, I was going to talk about the “good” sealife and the “bad” sealife. Thank You that You know my heart. Thank You for reminding me of the fascination and the sadness, the hypnotic allure, and the utter breadth of life under the sea. Thank You for seeing that it is all good, even when I try to label it otherwise. Thank You for whispering to my heart. Amen.

Genesis 1:23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 1:17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth,   

Again today this scripture has me thinking about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls,” perhaps simply because of the poetic nature of these verses in Genesis, the rhythm and repetition of those words.

Genesis 1:18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

The rhythm, the music of each line, the repetition of phrases such as “And God saw that it was good,” “And it was so,” “And there was evening, and there was morning–the XX day” definitely lend an air of poetry to this scripture.

Genesis 1:19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your creation, for the ability to watch it unfold in Your perfect plan by reading Your Word. Thank You for the poetry that Your words create, for the beauty, strength, calmness of nature. Help me, always, to see You, to praise You, as I look at Your creation. Amen.

Genesis 1:20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 1:13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.   

God’s creation in these verses is not chaotic. He’s not skipping through a forest sprinkling pixie dust willy nilly. His creation here is very controlled, very measured. There’s a well-executed plan, and I appreciate that.

Genesis 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,

But I think, for me, problems arise when I am too tied to my plan, too regimented. Then I have a narrative of the way things “should” be, the way they are “supposed to” be, and when life does not go according to my plan, my world does not feel ok.

Genesis 1:15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 

Precious Savior, I love Your detailed, controlled, plan for creation in these early chapters of Genesis. There is absolutely a place in Your world for a good, well-executed plan. But when I become so tied to my plans that I can’t move forward when things go astray, that’s when things get dicey for me. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 1:16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 1:9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.

Holy Lord, You are loving and gracious, slow to anger and infinitely patient. Thank You for who You are and who You are to me.

Genesis 1:10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Heavenly Father, You made everything from nothing. You created this world we live in, You made it so and saw that it was good.  Help us to be good stewards of this earth and its resources. Always.

Genesis 1:11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.

Precious Savior, Thank You for all creation—the earth, the vegetation, the rivers and streams and all the people there in. Help us to be good stewards of Your land. Help us to be compassionate towards each other. Always. Amen.

Genesis 1:12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Have a blessed day. 

Genesis 1:5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Today’s verses remind me of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls,” specifically the lines: “The little waves, with their soft, white hands,/ Efface the footprints in the sands…”

Genesis 1:6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”

We feel so permanent, with our buildings and bridges, but nature can erase all our progress in a heartbeat, as Helene reminded many recently. For me, this seems an excellent reminder that we *have* body, but we *are* a  soul, and we need to nurture and protect the one that’s eternal.

Genesis 1:7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that You created the heavens and the earth, and that humanity, with all our buildings and progress, can never fully overcome nature. Thank You for the reminder to focus our efforts on what’s eternal, and not on what’s fleeting. Amen.

Genesis 1:8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

I have always had a sweet spot for the arts. I was in chorus in middle school–until I realized I could not sing, art all four years of high school–even though I was terribly slow and not very imaginative, and drama my sophomore and junior years–which is where I found my calling to teach. Even though I wasn’t terribly adept in the arts, my experiences in those classes were foundational.

Genesis 1:2 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.

I can do the academics, but the arts feed my soul, so it’s no surprise to me that “In the beginning God created….” Creation is such a huge part of who He is. And while we haven’t always been the best stewards of His creation, every day is a new opportunity to do the right thing to take care of this world He created for us and to help take care of each other in the process.

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

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your spirit of creativity, for all the amazing things and people that You have created, for the ability to be stewards of Your creation and to uplift each other in the process. Thank You for the creative spirit that You instilled in each of us. Help us to find ways to nourish and nurture that part of ourselves in homage to You. Amen.

Genesis 1:4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Have a blessed day.