Genesis 1:1 – 2
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 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 have only included the first two verses of the creation story because it is too long to share here. But if you have the time, read all of Genesis Chapter 1.
The reason that I chose this for today is that we need to understand something. That creation by God did not end on the sixth day. My very first class for Course of Study the teacher talked about a creator God. I remember listening to him but not fully comprehending what he was saying. The reason for that is the same for most of us. We need to come to the realization that God continues to create every day. There is no limit to God’s creation because there is no limit to God. We as humans cannot understand this because we are finite beings.
Most of our earthly problems stem from the idea that there is a finite amount of everything, including the love and gifts of God. Nothing could be further from the truth. And because of this belief in limited supply we then are drawn to compete for that limited love and gifts. We then work to acquire more of these gifts and hoard them so when they do run out. Guaranteeing we then will still have ours when the supply runs out. But if we transition to a belief that God, being infinite, continues to create then we move past the need to accumulate and into the space of sharing. We then can give as God would want us too. Because there is no fear that we will run out. Only when we place our faith in an infinite God and God’s promise of love and grace can we see and live into what Jesus calls the Kingdom of Heaven. That peace comes not from the finite we can earn but to the infinite God can give. And with this, we know that God’s well will never run dry.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 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 have only included the first two verses of the creation story because it is too long to share here. But if you have the time, read all of Genesis Chapter 1.
The reason that I chose this for today is that we need to understand something. That creation by God did not end on the sixth day. My very first class for Course of Study the teacher talked about a creator God. I remember listening to him but not fully comprehending what he was saying. The reason for that is the same for most of us. We need to come to the realization that God continues to create every day. There is no limit to God’s creation because there is no limit to God. We as humans cannot understand this because we are finite beings.
Most of our earthly problems stem from the idea that there is a finite amount of everything, including the love and gifts of God. Nothing could be further from the truth. And because of this belief in limited supply we then are drawn to compete for that limited love and gifts. We then work to acquire more of these gifts and hoard them so when they do run out. Guaranteeing we then will still have ours when the supply runs out. But if we transition to a belief that God, being infinite, continues to create then we move past the need to accumulate and into the space of sharing. We then can give as God would want us too. Because there is no fear that we will run out. Only when we place our faith in an infinite God and God’s promise of love and grace can we see and live into what Jesus calls the Kingdom of Heaven. That peace comes not from the finite we can earn but to the infinite God can give. And with this, we know that God’s well will never run dry.
𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝟓: 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟑
𝟐𝟎 𝐖𝐨𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥,
𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬,
𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.
𝟐𝟑 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞,
𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭.
We need to remember what it was that led to the exile that Isaiah writes about. The fundamental failure was that the people were lead away from God’s covenant by leaders that were not consistent in their following of the mosaic law. And through their lead became the selfish beings that humans are when they live outside of God. They started to put their faith in men, not God.
The same has been true throughout history and we are cycling back again. We are bombarded everyday by two realities. We must then choose which is the one that is in service of God and which is driven by man. What we must recognize is that what we see in our world today is God’s plan skewed to meet man’s desire. We must test all by the full word of God, not just the parts that match our world view.
God’s view of the world is one of love of others, of being a servant first, and celebrating the diversity of God’s continued creation. So, when we are trying to decide in whom to put our faith there is only one answer. Our faith must remain in God and all God’s word. When we do this by his will, we then receive that peace that is promised in scripture. And in so doing recognize good from evil and light from dark.
𝟐𝟎 𝐖𝐨𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥,
𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬,
𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.
𝟐𝟑 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞,
𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭.
We need to remember what it was that led to the exile that Isaiah writes about. The fundamental failure was that the people were lead away from God’s covenant by leaders that were not consistent in their following of the mosaic law. And through their lead became the selfish beings that humans are when they live outside of God. They started to put their faith in men, not God.
The same has been true throughout history and we are cycling back again. We are bombarded everyday by two realities. We must then choose which is the one that is in service of God and which is driven by man. What we must recognize is that what we see in our world today is God’s plan skewed to meet man’s desire. We must test all by the full word of God, not just the parts that match our world view.
God’s view of the world is one of love of others, of being a servant first, and celebrating the diversity of God’s continued creation. So, when we are trying to decide in whom to put our faith there is only one answer. Our faith must remain in God and all God’s word. When we do this by his will, we then receive that peace that is promised in scripture. And in so doing recognize good from evil and light from dark.
