Category: Genesis

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.

Genesis 50:21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Again I am captivated by Joseph’s words in verse 20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good….” Verse 21 says that he reassures them and speaks to them kindly. The thought that radiates through me is that I want to be like Joseph. I want to have that kind of grace and graciousness for others.

Genesis 50:22-23 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.

I know that if you are consumed with bitterness, life will not go well for you. Just feeling the bitterness for Joseph’s brothers as I type makes me feel….icky. And yet, when I am hurt, my first reaction is to defend, to strike back. That is not grace and graciousness. That just drags me down to a level where I do not want to be.

Genesis 50:24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 

Precious Savior, Forgive me when my human side is at war with my eternal side, when bitterness makes me think about getting even. The emotion feels terrible inside of my skin. Help me, instead, to strive for grace and graciousness–not because they deserve it, but because You deserve it. Help me to be so focused on You that I don’t have time for that nonsense. Amen.

Genesis 50:25-26 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.  

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 50:13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 

To say that Joseph’s brothers had been less than kind to him would be an understatement. Now that their father is gone, the brothers are worried that Joseph will hold a grudge and seek retribution for the wrongs they have done to him.

Genesis 50:14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.

Commentary says what they are really worried about is judgment. They did wrong. That is not in question. What they are hoping is to escape the judgment for that wrong. They want to skip the consequences of their actions.

Genesis 50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 

Precious Savior, Like Joseph’s brothers, I know I have done wrong in my life. Forgive me. Replace my heart of stone with a pure heart, steeped in Your Spirit. Thank You for washing me clean. Help me to live a life worthy of Your sacrifice. Help me to show others the grace that You so freely lavish on me. Amen.

Genesis 50:16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 

Have a blessed day.