It is mind boggling to realize I am created in the image of God and that my purpose is to enjoy a relationship with Him. The very history of Creation is preserved for us in Genesis and God proceeds to reveal Himself to us through these 66 books, called The Holy Bible. God's desire is that we "delight" in Him and Psalms 1 reveals the blessings of being "planted" in God!
The Book of Proverbs begins by instructing me that if I am wise, I will listen and learn, and that a proper perspective of God is the foundation of knowledge. To me, one of the most important things to learn about God is that He loves me and only wants that which is good for me. This is not easy to grasp, and I think Satan wants to deceive us about God's love more than about anything else! When we know, without a doubt, that someone loves us and has our best interests at heart, we can trust them. We can ask God to help us understand the truth about His love for us--it is wonderful to finally realize that God is not out to get us. He is our Father and loves us to the point of giving His only begotten Son to die in our place (John 3:16), in order that we can have a Father-son or Father-daughter relationship with Him for eternity!
Matthew completes today's study with Jesus' ancestry listed from Abraham to David to Joseph, and the account of an angel instructing Joseph in how to handle his situation concerning Mary. God knows exactly where our names appear throughout generations. And, Joseph is such a role model for us--he believed the angel and followed God's instructions precisely. The last verse, Matt.1:25, summed up for me Joseph's humility and obedience . ."And he (Joseph) called His name JESUS".
Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThe thing that was most poignant to me in today's readings were from verses I have probably read a hundred times. But today the first use of "Us" and "I" by God in the Bible (Genesis 1:26, 29) really touched my soul. From talk of a distant "He" in preceding verses to the very personal, intimate "Us" and "I", God drew me near to Him. This is really astounding to meditate upon - that He not only created us but created us in the very image of the likeness of the Godhead. Then to the even more miraculous, "I", followed by blessings and gifts - dominion over all the majestic earth just created. Charles Stanley's 1st Biblical Precept got me on this first day at a depth it hasn't before: Our intimacy with God - His highest priority for our lives - determines the impact of our lives. My lesson and application: How can I honor and glorify Him more? How can I give back this indescribable gift to Him in a way He will love - in a way that will cause Him to say to me on that Day, "Well, done, thou good and faithful servant." I give Him my life.