The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 5:1b-2,
"When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them 'man.'"
I have to admit it is a bit of a struggle for me to comprehend all that is implied in the truth that we are created in God's own image. I know that when I pass by a herd of cattle I can't help but think our existence could be very mundane. How exciting could a life possibly be when its purpose for existence is to get fat and be slaughtered for someone else's food?
Because God chose to make us in his image we have been given the abilities of self-reflection, reason, a will to exercise and emotions that span quite a range. Together with these God has also chosen to provide our lives with purpose and meaning. These find their greatest expression when we are engaged in those activities the Lord pursues himself and what he has chosen to allow us to participate in of those things he is doing.
As I think of the sacrifice that God's Son made to satisfy our heavenly Father's justice for the sin in our lives and then having God allow us to propagate that good news – to take it to others so that that sacrifice can find its desired completion in the lives of those who will embrace it, it is just something to marvel at! To be actively engaged in nothing short of the purpose for which Jesus Christ came and died carries meaning and fulfillment nothing else can. Surely this is a part of what is meant when we read that God blessed us when he made us. Far from that which is mundane, he has provided each of us opportunities to participate in that which holds eternal consequences in the lives of those around us.
I suspect that much of the dissatisfaction many find in life is directly related to the absence of purpose and meaning they find in it. For those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith and engage in what the Lord is doing in the lives of those around us, life holds a richness and beauty that can only come from what God intended for us when he made us in his image!
What a wonderful God he is for creating us to participate in the things he does!
I have to admit it is a bit of a struggle for me to comprehend all that is implied in the truth that we are created in God's own image. I know that when I pass by a herd of cattle I can't help but think our existence could be very mundane. How exciting could a life possibly be when its purpose for existence is to get fat and be slaughtered for someone else's food?
Because God chose to make us in his image we have been given the abilities of self-reflection, reason, a will to exercise and emotions that span quite a range. Together with these God has also chosen to provide our lives with purpose and meaning. These find their greatest expression when we are engaged in those activities the Lord pursues himself and what he has chosen to allow us to participate in of those things he is doing.
As I think of the sacrifice that God's Son made to satisfy our heavenly Father's justice for the sin in our lives and then having God allow us to propagate that good news – to take it to others so that that sacrifice can find its desired completion in the lives of those who will embrace it, it is just something to marvel at! To be actively engaged in nothing short of the purpose for which Jesus Christ came and died carries meaning and fulfillment nothing else can. Surely this is a part of what is meant when we read that God blessed us when he made us. Far from that which is mundane, he has provided each of us opportunities to participate in that which holds eternal consequences in the lives of those around us.
I suspect that much of the dissatisfaction many find in life is directly related to the absence of purpose and meaning they find in it. For those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith and engage in what the Lord is doing in the lives of those around us, life holds a richness and beauty that can only come from what God intended for us when he made us in his image!
What a wonderful God he is for creating us to participate in the things he does!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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