Verse of the Day 6/15

Verse of the Day 6/15

 

Genesis 1:27   So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

My wife Jean and I recently had the privilege of spending some time with our son Jason's family.  It was a joy to spend time with the grandkids and see how they are growing in stature, but also in their personalities.  I spent some time watching the Lion King with Jack who is three.  I believe that it is his favorite movie.  He loves the songs and especially Hakuna Matatah.  The way he says the words Hakunah Matata is etched in my mind "ma-tata" is said with inflection and intensity.

 

The movie talks about the "circle of life" and pictures the of the Lion King, Mufasa standing on the rock overlooking creation is impressive as if the lion actually appreciated and understood the meaning of life.  The movie however, does not look to the Creator, the God of the universe, but rather,  points to the worship of life, God's creation.  Today's verses are to remind us that we are created in His image with capabilities far beyond the rest of creation.  This includes our ability to know Him, to worship Him and to live for Him, and bring glory to Him in acknowledging Him as the King of Creation and our Savior.

 

A.W. Tozer writes, "I believe that He created man out of no external necessity. I believe it was an internal necessity. God, being the God He was and is, and being infinitely perfect and infinitely beautiful and infinitely glorious and infinitely admirable and infinitely loving, out of His own inward necessity had to have some creature that was capable of admiring Him and loving Him and knowing Him. So God made man in His own image; in the image and likeness of God made He him; and He made him as near to being like Himself as it was possible for the creature to be like the Creator. The most godlike thing in the universe is the soul of man……The reason God made man in His image was that he might appreciate God and admire and adore and worship; so that God might not be a picture, so to speak, hanging in a gallery with nobody looking at Him. He might not be a flower that no one could smell; He might not be a star that no one could see. God made somebody to smell that flower, the lily of the valley. He wanted someone to see that glorious image. He wanted someone to see the star, so He made us and in making us He made us to worship Him. Worship: The Missing Jewel, 3."

 

Do you see God as glorious and being worthy of our worship, worthy of our praise, and worth living for?  We are created in His image for those purposes and also with a "responsibility" to manage, to respect all of His creation (The Message).  Read the passage below.  May we praise Him, worship Him and live for Him and reflect His nature.

 

Jean and I will have some time in the coming week with all of our grandchildren.  Perhaps, if there is a rainy day, we'll spend part of it watching the Lion King, may we have the opportunity to tell them about being created in the image of God.

 

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Genesis 1:22-28 The Message (MSG)

^20-23 God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life!
        Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!"
    God created the huge whales,
        all the swarm of life in the waters,
    And every kind and species of flying birds.
        God saw that it was good.
    God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean!
        Birds, reproduce on Earth!"
    It was evening, it was morning—
    Day Five.

^24-25 God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:
        cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds."
    And there it was:
        wild animals of every kind,
    Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
        God saw that it was good.

^26-28 God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them
        reflecting our nature
    So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
        the birds in the air, the cattle,
    And, yes, Earth itself,
        and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."
    God created human beings;
        he created them godlike,
    Reflecting God's nature.
        He created them male and female.
    God blessed them:
        "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
    Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
        for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

 

 

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