Genesis 1,2 Matthew 1

The Bible in A Year plan I'm doing has me reading OT in the morning and NT in the evening. Since it's 12:30p, I haven't read Matthew 1 yet, but I will make a seprate post for it.

So, we all know the creation story. We've heard it since we were young, but I think the interesting thing is that something new can jump out at you every time. I guess that's what they mean by "living word", because it bit me in THE FACE this morning...

Oh, and let me preface this by saying, I'm NOT a Bible scholar. Shoot, I haven't even read it all the way through...oh yes, and I'm going to keep this short, with bullet points.

Things that God pointed out to me in Genesis 1 and 2:

1. Appreciate what I made for you! : Talk about a great Birthday Gift! God created ALL of this for us! The Grand Canyon, gysers, hot springs, the "golden time of day", the purple morning (in reference to the sky), the rain...ALL of it! And in 1:14, I think He's even talking about the star constellations as "signs and tokens to mark seasons, days, and years"...man, He really had this thing thought out. And just for ME.

2. Everything Adam can do I can do better!: Adam (and me and you) were made in God's perfect image. PERFECT image, when Adam named things, that's what they were. He could definitly "name it and claim it" to put it in churchy terms, but we have that power and more (because we have Jesus)! So, while I'm sitting here worried about my mounting bills (because boy they ARE mounting), how I am gonig to pay this or that, and making the right moves for my business, God has equipped me with the power and everything I need. It's now up to me to tap into it, and that's what I'm constantly trying to figure out...shame.

3. The Garden of Eden:  When God made the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve, He put EVERYTHING they would need in it. In 2:9 it says "God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or...good for food". Their only stipulation was to stay away from the one tree God told them to. Sometimes we may think, "man they were stupid. and look at where we are now. shouldn't have ate that apple", but we do the same thing in our lives. I thought of Eden as God's Will. When we're in it, yes, there will be temptation (ie the serpant), but EVERYTHING we need is there. Things we like (trees pleasant to the sight) and things we need (trees good for food).

But, we get focused on what we can't have and that's where we lose.

Don't focus on the one tree you can't have (and God didn't say they couldn't have it forever, it just wasn't the time), but focus on all the God has for you. The full lives we can lead my staying in His will, by cultivating our relationship with Him, by loving others, by giving...yeah, even giving.

Well, this is my first blog post, so we'll see how this goes.

Until next time...