2010 – Day 1. Jan. 1 – The Wondrous Spark of Creation

January 1, 2010 … Reading through the Bible in a Year

Blogger’s Note: This year of 2010, I am committed to read through the Bible in a year; and I’ll be using The Daily Bible by Harvest House Publishers, edited with commentary by F. Legard Smith, along with a companion book, The Daily Bible Commentary, by the same author, from which I’ll be drawing the organization and direction for my journaling.

Day 1 ... January 1

Passage for Study: Genesis 1: 27 … NIV 27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.

My Journal for Today: Why did God do it? Why did He create me to be like Himself? Have you ever thought about that? Our Triune God, as the Creator of everything, decided to create a creature who could relate to Himself. And with a free-will, we would be able to create things as well. Oh, we would not be given the fullness of omniscience and omnipotence, like THE God, Himself; but He would give us the spark of creativity so that we could dream like God, think independently of others, like Him, and to bring ideas into creation, in some respects modeling what God did when He created the world, the universe, and all other creatures which would glorify His Name.

Think about it! You and I are reflections of perfection, made in our original versions, Adam and Eve, to walk with God, tend His garden, relate in harmony with God, and to reflect His glory forevermore. But, as we know, there was one catch on this creative perfection; and that was the element of obedience. God would bless mankind with relationship with Himself and with dominion over God’s creation, IF – and only if, man could curb his free will in the Garden. And we know that our ancestors blew it; and we’ll get to that tomorrow (I’ve looked ahead). But just pause for a moment and contemplate who we are and for what – or Whom - we were created.

I’m still created for God’s glory. I still have free will; and I still can make creative choices which can honor my God [or of course, dishonor Him]. I can still walk with my Lord and talk to my Lord. I can still dream His dreams; and I can do things or make things which shine His light in this world. Yes, I know that my spiritual DNA limits me to battle with my sin nature; but that discussion is for another day. Today, I just want to revel in why my Lord created me and that I can still be a reflection of that creation, choosing to do all I can to relate with Him, to commune with Him, and to honor Him with my life. I can make choices which follow my Lord; and when I do (i.e., through obedience to His leading), I become like Him again; and the world sees His glory shining forth in my life.

What a deal I have … IF … I can just choose to be like the creature He created in me.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be like the man You created me to be. Amen

2009 - Day 37 - What A Deal!

February 7, 2009 … Swindoll’s Topic for Today: Innovative Planning

Passage of the Day: Genesis 47: 1 – 26 … Please go to this link …

My Journal for Today: Today we have a longer segment of Joseph’s story. I hope you read it; because it illustrates how Joseph productively used his administrative gifting, with innovation and creativity for God’s glory and for the good of those in his sphere of influence. He not only kept his family alive and well in a land hostile to the Hebrew people; but he kept all of Egypt well during the horrible times of famine which had been visited on these lands at the time.

He did things and took actions which had never been taken before. Joseph not only thought and made decisions “out-of-the-box,” to use a modern day buzz phrase; he broke the box apart and reassembled it. And Chuck Swindoll likens this “wild-n-crazy” plan of action to God’s plan, explained in Phil. 2: 6-11, where God activated a “way out” plan to save all of mankind who would buy into and receive his plan. God Almighty set aside his majesty, came as a babe, walked in love among man, died on a cross, and was raised again from the dead; and he did all of this out of his mercy and grace to give me, a sinner deserving nothing by death, an opportunity to be saved and to dwell with my Lord in heaven for eternity.

Joseph’s was a plan to save the people which had never been done before; and only those who bought into the plan and “got with the program” of Joseph, the designated “master,” would those people so receiving Joseph’s mercy be saved. And this is a life picture from history as to what was to come when the Godhead activated a plan, with Jesus as THE MASTER, … a plan which was, and will always be, the most innovative plan of salvation ever. And I am one (and I pray you, too) who has bought into the latter plan. I gave up all my life to become the indentured slave of this Master Planner. Jesus is my LORD and my SAVIOR. He, like Joseph’s plan, requires only that I give Him the first fruits of what He provides for me; and as it says in Matt. 6: 33, all I have to do is put my Lord first in my life; and I will be given all I need for this life and the next.

That’s quite a plan; don’t you think – the greatest deal ever offered?! And I hope that when I run up against the walls of this life, I can simply put aside my own agenda, grab hold of the circumstances of life, and follow My Lord’s way of doing things. That was “the plan” for discipleship laid out by THE MASTER PLANNER (read it in Luke 9: 23); and all those who use this plan will have their needs met, just as did those in Egypt in the tough times we read about in today’s life lesson from God’s word.

Live and learn from God!

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to do nothing in life but to seek after Your plans and to follow Your ways … during this life as preparation for the next. Amen