Light!

Genesis 1:14 - “lights”
We think of the sun and the moon. There is a greater Son – our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. When the sun and the moon are no more, there will be Jesus, the King of creation, the Lord of glory. His reign shall never come to an end. It will be the reign of His everlasting love. When the light of the sun and moon are no longer shining, the light of Christ’s love will be shining brightly (Revelation 22:5) – shining “not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.”
Genesis 1:15 - “light upon the earth”
As we read these words, we rejoice in this – Jesus is the Light of the world” (John 8:12).
Genesis 1:16 - “the stars”
As we read about the stars, our thoughts turn to the star which led the wise men to Bethlehem. As we think of that star, we are led to Christ. May we join with the wise men in saying, “We have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2).
Genesis 1:17 - “light upon the earth”
Where does light come from? Do we look inside our own minds? No! We look to Him who “came down from heaven to earth – Jesus Christ our Saviour.”
Genesis 1:18 - “rule over the day and the night”
Beyond the “rule” of “the two great lights”, there is the “rule” of the Lord. He is the King of creation. He is the King of salvation. He is “the King of kings” (Revelation 19:16).
Genesis 1:19 - “the evening and the morning”
The morning is bright with new beginnings. In the evening, we feel weary. In all life’s changing circumstances, let us look to the Lord. When we feel strong, let us say, “My strength comes from the Lord.” When we feel weak, let us pray, “Lord, I am weak. You are strong. I bring my weakness to You. Give me your strength.”

Out of the darkness - and into the light

Genesis 1:5 – “Day and Night”

It’s like the difference between Day and Night. What a great change there is in us when the Lord brings us out of our darkness and into His light.

Genesis 1:6 - “a firmament”

Firm – We have a firm foundation upon which to build our faith. There is solid ground upon which we can take our stand. The sold ground is Jesus Christ. He is the firm Foundation.

Genesis 1:7 - “the waters”

In the days of Noah, there was a great flood. All around us there is danger. The flood threatens to overwhelm us. How are we to be saved from drowning? There is one way of salvation. Jesus Christ is our Saviour.

Genesis 1:8 - “Heaven”

What a wonderful word this is! What a wonderful Saviour Jesus is. He is the way to heaven (John 14:6).

Genesis 1:9 – “gathered together unto one place”

What a release of the living waters of God’s Spirit there is when the Lord’s people are gathered together with a real desire to give praise and glory to Him.

Genesis 1:10 - “the gathering together of the waters”

When we are gathered together in the Lord’s House, we must pray that the Spirit of God will be at work among us, bringing to us a mighty river of blessing.

Blessing, Deliverance And Resurrection

Genesis 1:20 - “Let the waters bring forth abundantly.”

What abundance of blessing there is when the living water of the Holy Spirit are flowing freely among the Lord’s people (John 7:37-39; Ezekiel 47:5,9).

Genesis 1:21 - “great whales”

Remember “the great fish” that swallowed Jonah (Jonah 1:17). This was God’s way of showing us that “salvation comes from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). From the story of Jonah’s mighty deliverance, we look on to the mighty miracle of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. He died, but He did not remain dead. He rose from the dead.

Blessed By The Lord

Genesis 1:22 - “God blessed them”

What a great thing it is to be blessed by the Lord. Without His blessing, we have nothing. We must never forget these challenging words of Jesus; “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). What a great challenge they are to our human pride. When we think we can manage on our own, Jesus reminds us, “You are nothing, you have nothing and you can do nothing without My blessing.” With His blessing, everything changes. This is the great change which God has brought into our life – “In Christ, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3).

Showers Of Blessing

Genesis 2:5
“rain”
No rain, no plants of the field, no herbs of the field, no man to till the ground. This is a picture of life without God’s blessing. To His faithful servants who look to Him for the blessing, God gives His precious promise: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Genesis 2:6
“watering the whole surface of the ground”

It’s water that makes the difference. Without water, everything dries up and dies. There’s a better way than the way of spiritual death. God says to us, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters” (Isaiah 55:1). Jesus says to us, “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

One River Becomes Four Rivers.

Genesis 2:10 - One river becomes four rivers.

God’s blessing is not to be kept to ourselves.
“Water that was ankle-deep” becomes “water that was knee-deep”. Then it becomes “water that was up to the waist”. This is just the beginning of God’s blessing. He is leading us on to even greater blessing – “now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in-a river that no one could cross” (Ezekiel 47:3-5).
When the Lord’s blessing is shared, there is an increase of blessing and greater glory is given to the Lord.

The Breath Of Life

Genesis 2:7

“the breath of life”

Everything changes when the Lord breathes His breath of life into us.

* Until God comes to us in power, our situation is desperate – “I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry” (Ezekiel 37:2).
When He breathes life into us, we are changed by the power of His love. We become new men and women in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God's Great Faithfulness

Genesis 1:23 - “the evening and the morning”

The repeated pattern of nature – evening, morning, evening, morning … – speaks to us of God’s great faithfulness. Without the sustaining power of God of perfect faithfulness and constant love, our world would return to chaos – “without form and void” (1:2). Whatever changes may take place in our world, let us never forget this: God’s mercies are renewed every morning. He is the God of great faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23).

Jesus is Lord! - He Gives His Victory To Us.

Genesis 1:24 - The “beast”
Whenever we read, in God’s Word, about “the beast”, we are reminded that we face constant and determinedopposition from Satan, the enemy of our souls. Whenever we feel that Satan is getting the upper hand, let us remind him that Jesus is Lord.
Genesis 1:25 - “every thing that creeps upon the earth”
Creep – Isn’t that such a sinister word? Satan creeps around, doing no good. There is One who does nothing but good – our Lord Jesus Christ. He will never be defeated by Satan. Let us rejoice in this: Jesus gives His victory to us.

In God's Image ...

Genesis 1:26 - “in God’s image”

This doesn’t sound like a true description of the way we really are! We are sinners. We have lost our way. It’s a reminder of what God created us to be. It’s His high calling for us. He calls us to be like Him. He calls us to bring glory to Him.

Genesis 1:27 - “male and female”

We belong together. We’re not to compete with each other. We are to help each other to love the Lord more and more as we journey through life together.

Genesis 1:28 - “dominion”

We are given dominion. God has dominion. Let us never forget this. We must not think too highly of ourselves. We can never think too highly of the Lord.

The Strong Meat Of God's Word

Genesis 1:29 - “meat”

We need the strong meat of God’s Word if we are to grow strong in the Lord. Let us feed on the Word of God. Let us pray that our hunger will increase. The more we hunger for the Lord, the more fully He will satisfy us.

Pour Out Your Heart ...

Genesis 2:12
“aromatic resin and the shoham stone”

“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3).
This is not only the story of Mary’s costly devotion. It’s a call to us to be “the pleasing aroma of Christ. The Lord is calling us to “spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).
We will do this when we are trusting in Jesus Christ, the “chosen and precious cornerstone” upon which our faith is built (1 Peter 2:6).
When we come in faith to Jesus Christ, our Saviour, God does a mighty work of grace in us: “As you come to Him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

Holiness

Genesis 2:3 - “holy”

When God blesses us, He makes us holy. He has not given to us the forgiveness of our sins and left us just the way we were before we came in faith to Christ. We come to the Saviour – “Just as I am” – but do not remain the same. God has given us new life – the life of the Holy Spirit. From the moment we receive God’s forgiveness, we begin our new journey on the High Way of holiness (Isaiah 35:8). We will often wander away from this High Way, but the Lord keeps on bringing us back. He brings us back to the Cross where we find forgiveness. He brings us back to the risen Lord, who empowers us for walking with God in holy living. When we see that our forgiveness and holiness comes from Jesus Christ, crucified for us and risen for us, we give all the glory to God. This is not our own doing. It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes (Psalm 118:23).

From The Garden To The City

Genesis 2:8
“garden”

To those who put their trust in Him, the Lord gives His very precious promises – “You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isaiah 58:11); “They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more” (Jeremiah 31:12). Looking to the Lord as we move towards the great future He has planned for us, we look beyond the Old Testament prophets. We look forward to the glorious fulfilment of God’s wonderful purpose of eternal salvation – “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city … I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God … God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”(Revelation 22:1-2; Revelation 21:2-4).

What's In A Name?

Genesis 2:19
The naming of the animals

What’s in a name? Names are important to the Lord. He calls us “by name” (John 10:3). We are known by our own name. How disappointed we are when someone forgets our name. How wonderful it is that the Lord never forgets our name. There’s something more wonderful than that. He gives us His Name. We are known by the Name – Jesus. His Name means Saviour. Every time, we speak His Name, we are reminded that we have been saved by Him. His Name speaks to us of the forgiveness of our sins, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the glorious hope of eternal life.

History - His Story

Genesis 2:4 - “This is the history”

This is His Story. This is God’s Story. In this great Story of creation, which leads on to the great Story of salvation, we read about the God who has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. we could not create ourselves. We could not save ourselves. We have been created by God. We have been saved by God. Apart from the work of God, we would have no life. Our life has come from Him. Apart from the work of God, we would have no new life. It is through His mighty power that we have become “a new creation in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Apart from the work of God, we would have no hope of eternal life – “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11). In ourselves, there is no hope. In the great God of our salvation, we have this glorious hope – “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Spiritual Growth

Genesis 2:9
“Out of the ground the Lord God made every tree to grow”

If we are to make progress in spiritual growth, we must be grounded in Christ – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). It was the Lord God who made every tree to grow. It is the Lord God who gives us the strength that we need to grow in Christ. Spirtual growth is not our achievement. It is the work of God’s grace. “To him be glory both now and forever” (2 Peter 3;18).

We Need Each Other - And We Need The Lord.

Genesis 2:16

“The Lord God commanded the man”

Here, we have God’s command. He is concerned about us. He gives us His instructions about how we are to live. He knows what is best for us. Who are we to argue with Him?

Genesis 2:17
“you shall surely die.”

God is warning us. You can go your own way – but you will find that it is the way of death: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Genesis 2:18

“a helper suitable for him”

We are not left to go it alone. As well as receiving the Lord’s help, we are to help each other. Give help. Receive help. In everything, never forget this: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2); “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8).

Keeping Things Simple - Big Thoughts In Short Sentences

Genesis

When I was writing these words, I was thinking of some of the stories in the book of Genesis (the book of beginnings). I was thinking about Adam, Abraham and Joseph - and I was thinking about Jesus!

___________________________________________

It was the genesis of my life.
Things were looking so good.
Then, it all went badly wrong.
What could be done about this?
Could things be turned around?
The devil was running the show.
Where was God in all of this?
Was He there? or Had He gone?
The more I thought about this,
The more I came to see,
The Lord was watching me,
Waiting for me to come home.
It was the genesis of my faith.
What must I do to be saved?
Look away from myself.
Put my trust in Jesus Christ.
Things are looking so good.
They're on the up and up.
The sun  is shining in the sky.
It's not just the sun that's in the sky.
It's the Son who's shining on me.
It's the Saviour. He loves me.
It's the Saviour. He changes me.
It's Jesus. All praise to His Name.
It was the genesis of my calling.
The Lord loves every one.
He calls me to show His love,
To show them His love is real
It's not a love for some of us.
It's love for every one.
Let His love show. Let His love flow.
Let it reach out to every one.

Life is never easy.

Egypt's never far away.

In fact, it's all around us.

It rises in our hearts.

Is there something better?

We may never escape.

We're stuck in the place where we are,

But God is there beside us.

He's with us all the way.

_____

Exodus

What an exodus it was!
Was it really a deliverance?
Was it more than a departure?
Departure? - Yes. it was.
It involved the peoples' choice.
They had to follow God's direction.
Deliverance? - That's what it was.
It required the power of God.
The people made their choice.
The power came from God.
God said, "I will do this."
God said, "Will you follow?"
It came from the people.
It came from the Lord.
They called on Him.
He answered them.
"This is what we want."
"This is what I'll give to you."
___

Leviticus

Leviticus - it's such a strange book.
Is it really worth another look?
It speaks of the God who's holy.
It tells us that He loves us.
It points us to the Lamb of God.
He takes away our sin.
___

Numbers

Walking around in the desert,
It seems such a waste of time,
Or, was there someting more than that?
Is there a way out of the wasteland?
Yes! There is the promised land.
The Lord is with us in the desert.
He will not leave us there.
___

Deuteronomy

These thoughts are based on Deuteronomy 8:3.

Feed us, Lord.
Feed us with Your Word.
Give us hunger,
Real hunger - for Your Word.

Satisfy us, Lord.
Speak to us - Your Word.
Fill our hearts with joy,
The joy of knowing You.
___

Jeremiah

These thoughts are based on Jeremiah 1:6-8 and Jeremiah 6:16.

He was just a young boy.
Jeremiah was his name.
He had something to say to the people,
Something that they would not forget.
This was more than the word of man.
This was the Word of the Lord.
They may not respond to the Word of the Lord.
They would never forget that they heard it.
What did Jeremiah say to them?
Did he say something new?
No! He said, "Go back to the beginning.
Get back to the Word of the Lord."
___

Amos

These thoughts are based on Amos 7:14.

Amos was a herdsman,
Looking after sheep.
Do we catch a glimpse of Someone else,
the Shepherd of our souls?
Jesus is there, just behind the scenes.
He loves us with the best love -
It's better than all the rest.