Yesterday I finished reading through the Bible for the second time in my life. I have to admit to feeling proud as I wrote the date down in the back cover. It wasn't pride in myself or my insignificant accomplishment though, but rather pride in being God's child. Pride in His Word. In how amazing it is that God, the Creator of everything, felt it important to communicate with us, with me. He made sure we had his Story in written form to pass down through the generations. I have so many memories of my Mom and my Grandma reading their Bibles. In the ten years my Grandma lived with our family -- while she was in her 90's! -- she read through the Bible about a dozen times! I'm happy to continue the family tradition.
So this morning I started over in Genesis.
"In the beginning God!" Genesis 1:1.
You really don't need to read anything beyond those four words. They say it all! In the beginning God was there. He's always been. But seeing that God didn't end the conversation there, I kept going.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
That very first verse of the Bible, in my opinion, is the point of a persons faith decision. If you believe that very first verse, you're more than likely going to believe the rest of the book. If you don't believe it, however, you set yourself up for a life of questions, doubt, and plain ol' unbelief.
I've always wondered why people don't believe in God. I realize my Christian upbringing and heritage play a huge role in what I believe about God. But I am an intelligent woman. I've asked the hard questions about God, about Jesus, about the Bible. The answers I get from folks who don't buy into it, however, simply leave me unsatisfied. All you have to do is look around you and see God's handiwork. Humans are far too complicated to have just evolved from globby gook. And even if that were a plausible answer, where did the globby gook come from? Some will answer that it has always been, like I believe God has always been. Really? I'd much rather believe an all-powerful Creator has always existed rather than believing globby gook always existed, wouldn't you??
I kept reading through Chapter 1 today. I came to verse 27:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
Wow! We are created in GOD'S own image! We look like our Father! How cool is that?
But after reading those words, I felt really sad. Why? Because I thought of all the people who deny God, their Father. They deny He created them. That would be like my son telling me I wasn't his mother. That I didn't carry him in my womb and give birth to him. I remember that day so clearly (with each of my sons). I celebrated with joy in my heart that I had a son. But he doesn't remember that day, so he has to take my word that I'm his mother. He has to come to a point of belief that I did indeed "create" him.
Imagine how God the Father feels when his children deny him.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16
If you have any doubt in your mind that you were created by a loving God, who knew you before you were born, who made you in His own image, I hope you'll go back to Genesis 1 and start your faith journey over again.
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Today's Prayer Shout Out countries are:
USA, China, Philippines, Ukraine, Malaysia, Russia, Ireland, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Indonesia
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