July 29-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:24-25, Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
Observe what it is saying.
Day 6 was extremely busy as God spent the day dreaming up all kinds of small and large animals to fill the land that He created on Day 3. When we consider the vast number and types of animals that inhabit the globe, we get a glimpse into God’s infinite imagination. In the same way, we discover imagination is a gift from God for us to be creative. As God did with the various vegetation, He created animals to reproduce and fill the earth. He wanted His world to be filled with His glorious beauty.
Relate it to your life.
Imagination is a gift of heaven to keep on creating and producing that which is good for God’s glory.
Do something.
“Father, fill my mind with heavenly thoughts that reproduce good for the benefit of others, all to Your glory. Amen.”
July 30-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:26, Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
Observe what it is saying.
What does it mean that God said, “Let us…” Do we not believe in one God? There’s no doubt that the one God of creation is the sovereign God. However, there’s also evidence in Scripture that there are other inferior gods who rule over aspects of creation. Is this what God was indicating when He said “Let us.” Some scholars believe so. Others interpret this that God was giving us hints about His Triune nature. He’s one God in 3 persons. Or was God just using the plurality of “we” that we sometimes use even when speaking about ourselves. We, also, discover that we were created in God’s image to be like Him. We are not to be gods ourselves but to reflect His image. He goes on to tell us specifically what that means. We’ve been given the authority to reign over His created order. Here is where we find our commission to steward creation well.
Relate it to your life.
God has incredibly entrusted us with the weighty responsibility to wisely rule over all that He created.
Do something.
“Father, thank You for entrusting us with such responsibility. Help us to be wise as we care for all that You have placed into our hands. Amen.”
July 31-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:27, So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Observe what it is saying.
God highly valued humanity above the rest of creation by creating us in His image. However, that doesn’t mean God is a physical being. It means that like God, we have spirit, intellect, emotion, will, beauty, and the ability to create, love, give, serve for the benefit of others. The creation of humankind is specifically noted as a creation of "male and female." Previously, gender was not considered to be an important feature of the creation for other forms of life, but for humanity it is clearly identified. The fact that God created "man" as "male and female" reveals the high and holy value that God has stamped upon both sexes through His pure and beautiful design. In Scripture, male and female are the only two gender categories that God’s ordered creation offers.
Relate it to your life.
It I truly believe that I’m created in God’s image, such lofty faith will highly impact my thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions each day.
Do something.
“Father, help me to conceive and believe the incredible worth You have placed in my DNA. Amen.”
August 1-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:28, Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Observe what it is saying.
God’s blessing was upon His creation. From the very beginning God’s desire was to bring His best into our lives and into our world. He created this place for us to enjoy and for us to fill up. Procreation was one potent purpose of creation. Just as God made it possible for all creatures to reproduce so He commanded us to do the same. We are to fill the earth and rule over it. Not only have we been given this fabulous planet and all that it contains to enjoy but also to care for. As Christians, the stewardship of creation should be a high priority. This is God’s gift to us. This is our home. We should take inventory of what we buy and use and how we discard the precious resources of this planet.
Relate it to your life.
All of God’s blessings come with great responsibilities.
Do something.
“Father, thank You for the many blessings that You have poured into my life. Help me to wisely care for all You have given me. Amen.”
August 2-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:29-30, Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.
Observe what it is saying.
Included in God’s creative wonder is our provision for life to be sustained and enjoyed. God gave us all the fruit, berries, and vegetables that would nourish our bodies. He did the same for every creature by providing them their food sources. I like the commentary about God’s order and design for provision, “And that is what happened.” There’s no doubt about it. What God says happens. Every word He speaks goes out to accomplish what He has purposed it to do. This is evident from the very beginning as God spoke and this perfectly designed world with all of its beauty and intricacies came into existence.
Relate it to your life.
When I trust in the promises of God for my life, they will become reality.
Do something.
“Father, give me such faith to believe the eternal truths You have spoken are still in effect for me today. Amen.”
August 3-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:31, Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.
Observe what it is saying.
God was impressed with what He had done through all of His creative work. On the first five days, God said, “It’s good,” but on the sixth day, after He had created humankind, He said, “It’s very good.” That sense of deep satisfaction we feel when we’ve accomplished something we deem to be important and significant is one of the ways we’re made in the image of God. When we join God in creating, there’s a sense of deep joy that floods our soul and psyche. It’s good to feel good about God’s creativity working through our minds, hands, and words. This too is a gift from God!
Relate it to your life.
We should celebrate with joy and appreciation a job well done, knowing God is still creating through us.
Do something.
“Father, thank You for giving us these feelings of satisfaction when we’ve participated with You in creating something that is good and very good. Amen.”
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:24-25, Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
Observe what it is saying.
Day 6 was extremely busy as God spent the day dreaming up all kinds of small and large animals to fill the land that He created on Day 3. When we consider the vast number and types of animals that inhabit the globe, we get a glimpse into God’s infinite imagination. In the same way, we discover imagination is a gift from God for us to be creative. As God did with the various vegetation, He created animals to reproduce and fill the earth. He wanted His world to be filled with His glorious beauty.
Relate it to your life.
Imagination is a gift of heaven to keep on creating and producing that which is good for God’s glory.
Do something.
“Father, fill my mind with heavenly thoughts that reproduce good for the benefit of others, all to Your glory. Amen.”
July 30-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:26, Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
Observe what it is saying.
What does it mean that God said, “Let us…” Do we not believe in one God? There’s no doubt that the one God of creation is the sovereign God. However, there’s also evidence in Scripture that there are other inferior gods who rule over aspects of creation. Is this what God was indicating when He said “Let us.” Some scholars believe so. Others interpret this that God was giving us hints about His Triune nature. He’s one God in 3 persons. Or was God just using the plurality of “we” that we sometimes use even when speaking about ourselves. We, also, discover that we were created in God’s image to be like Him. We are not to be gods ourselves but to reflect His image. He goes on to tell us specifically what that means. We’ve been given the authority to reign over His created order. Here is where we find our commission to steward creation well.
Relate it to your life.
God has incredibly entrusted us with the weighty responsibility to wisely rule over all that He created.
Do something.
“Father, thank You for entrusting us with such responsibility. Help us to be wise as we care for all that You have placed into our hands. Amen.”
July 31-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:27, So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Observe what it is saying.
God highly valued humanity above the rest of creation by creating us in His image. However, that doesn’t mean God is a physical being. It means that like God, we have spirit, intellect, emotion, will, beauty, and the ability to create, love, give, serve for the benefit of others. The creation of humankind is specifically noted as a creation of "male and female." Previously, gender was not considered to be an important feature of the creation for other forms of life, but for humanity it is clearly identified. The fact that God created "man" as "male and female" reveals the high and holy value that God has stamped upon both sexes through His pure and beautiful design. In Scripture, male and female are the only two gender categories that God’s ordered creation offers.
Relate it to your life.
It I truly believe that I’m created in God’s image, such lofty faith will highly impact my thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions each day.
Do something.
“Father, help me to conceive and believe the incredible worth You have placed in my DNA. Amen.”
August 1-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:28, Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Observe what it is saying.
God’s blessing was upon His creation. From the very beginning God’s desire was to bring His best into our lives and into our world. He created this place for us to enjoy and for us to fill up. Procreation was one potent purpose of creation. Just as God made it possible for all creatures to reproduce so He commanded us to do the same. We are to fill the earth and rule over it. Not only have we been given this fabulous planet and all that it contains to enjoy but also to care for. As Christians, the stewardship of creation should be a high priority. This is God’s gift to us. This is our home. We should take inventory of what we buy and use and how we discard the precious resources of this planet.
Relate it to your life.
All of God’s blessings come with great responsibilities.
Do something.
“Father, thank You for the many blessings that You have poured into my life. Help me to wisely care for all You have given me. Amen.”
August 2-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:29-30, Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.
Observe what it is saying.
Included in God’s creative wonder is our provision for life to be sustained and enjoyed. God gave us all the fruit, berries, and vegetables that would nourish our bodies. He did the same for every creature by providing them their food sources. I like the commentary about God’s order and design for provision, “And that is what happened.” There’s no doubt about it. What God says happens. Every word He speaks goes out to accomplish what He has purposed it to do. This is evident from the very beginning as God spoke and this perfectly designed world with all of its beauty and intricacies came into existence.
Relate it to your life.
When I trust in the promises of God for my life, they will become reality.
Do something.
“Father, give me such faith to believe the eternal truths You have spoken are still in effect for me today. Amen.”
August 3-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Genesis 1:31, Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.
Observe what it is saying.
God was impressed with what He had done through all of His creative work. On the first five days, God said, “It’s good,” but on the sixth day, after He had created humankind, He said, “It’s very good.” That sense of deep satisfaction we feel when we’ve accomplished something we deem to be important and significant is one of the ways we’re made in the image of God. When we join God in creating, there’s a sense of deep joy that floods our soul and psyche. It’s good to feel good about God’s creativity working through our minds, hands, and words. This too is a gift from God!
Relate it to your life.
We should celebrate with joy and appreciation a job well done, knowing God is still creating through us.
Do something.
“Father, thank You for giving us these feelings of satisfaction when we’ve participated with You in creating something that is good and very good. Amen.”
Posted in Daily Devotionals