God's love for us is seen in creation
by Gini Crawford, MSW
www.BecauseOfGod.com
9/15/2007
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In many instances in our society, love has become a buzz word that we use to sound loving. However, we fail to put that “love” into action. God’s love, in contrast, is filled with action. In numerous scriptures we are told that the foundation of God’s love is shown through the action of sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us. However, His love for us is also seen very clearly through His creation.
God created everything. In Genesis 1, after each day of creation God saw that what He had made was good. Yet, after God had created everything – especially man and woman, He saw that all He had created was very good. You are very good in God’s eyes! Genesis 1:31 says,
"And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." NASB®
At one time in my life, because of my childhood, I thought I was worthless. Have you ever been there? I later realized from Genesis that I was very good in God’s eyes. The word “very” means exceedingly. The word “good” is defined by many positive words. Some of the positive words are: beautiful, delightful, pleasant, glad, precious, correct, excellent, lovely, convenient, joyful, fruitful, secure, kind, and righteous. What if someone who loved you, wrote you a letter using these words to express what they thought and felt about you. How would you feel about that person? How would that person feel about you? God feels and thinks that way about you! What are your thoughts and feelings about God?
Have you ever thought about how your life would be without what God created? (If you are not familiar with chapters one and two of Genesis, this would be a good time to dust off a Bible and read.) I am not familiar enough with the sciences to expound on how each item God created is needed for our survival. However I do enjoy the sun, so let me expound a moment on that part of God’s creation. The sun does give us and everything else, the warmth we need to survive. Did you know that the sun is at just the right distance from the earth? If it was not within a narrow range of distances, everything would either freeze or burn up. And of course this planet would be lifeless. How about the light it gives us? Just think about this, what if we could survive without the sun (we can’t but just pretend), how would our existence be? I know when the sun is not seen for some days, I feel depressed.
God’s creation is His work of love for us! If you doubt this, as you read Genesis 1 and 2 make the creation story personal to you. You can do this by asking yourself, why did He create that for me? Example would be: God created the atmosphere just right for me to live and breathe. (The atmosphere contains oxygen which we need for life; it contains nitrogen which life also needs, as well as it keeps everything from catching on fire at the first lightning strike; and it contains various other gases which do important jobs for us.)
We are the pinnacle of God’s creation. God created everything for us to enjoy and to sustain us. King David, the famous Jewish king, in Psalm 8 writes about how surprised he is that God, the Creator of everything, would make us, mere humans, just a little lower than Himself. David also was amazed that God cares for us so much that He allows us to rule over His creation. David also seemed astonished that God would crown us with glory and majesty. (I can relate to what David is feeling. How about you?) David says of God in Psalm 8:3-6,
"When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet." NASB®
Genesis 1:27 says that we are created in God’s image. What does this mean? To put it simply, it means that we resemble God in many ways, but not in every way. Have you ever thought about the fact we are created in the very form that Jesus, the God of the universe, chose for Himself? We have the same form that God the Son, Jesus Christ, has. God’s Word says of Jesus in Philippians 2:8a, He was, “found in appearance as a man…” However there is a huge difference, Jesus has God’s essence and nature because He is God, we don’t! Jesus says in John 14:7,
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." NASB®
What does being in God’s image mean? Since we are created in God’s image, we can reason and speak, and we have a will to choose, like God. We also have the power to act out our reasoning, our speech, and our choices, like God does. Our ability to do these things is clearly seen in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God for the first time.
God has two types of attributes, they are incommunicable and communicable. The communicable attributes of God are the ones that we have (yes, in a finite way compared to God), such as a personality marked with emotions, moral character, the desire for relationship, the want to be loved and to love, the capacity to have understanding and wisdom, as well as the desire for mercy, justice, truth and faithfulness. We also have an eternal existence that began when God created us. The incommunicable attributes of God are the ones only God can have because God is God. These include being self-existent, self-sufficient, sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing and always present.
Think about why God would make us in His image? I love my cat, but I can’t have a truly intimate relationship with her because she isn’t in my image. I can only truly relate to and communicate with humans. We can, of course, relate to each other because we are in each other’s image, but even more importantly we can relate to God because He created us in His image. Since God created us in His image we are linked to heaven and God Himself unlike any other creature God made. He made us in His image to be able to have a truly intimate eternal relationship with us. Human history is being played out, in order that God can have a people who want to be in a relationship with Him.
Life application: Read Genesis 2 and explain what you believe God was thinking and feeling? Do you think what God was doing in this chapter showed His love? How? Do you want to be in a relationship with the God that created you? If you do, then you can through Jesus Christ. Read John 1:12-13.
This devotion is taken from the Bible study, "God Loves You and Me" Lesson 1.