Genesis 1:24-25

[24] And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

God saw that it was good, the livestock and animals that now walked the earth.

God’s creation is amazing. Just think of the last time you went to a zoo. There are so many different types of animals, so many different breeds within each animal, each with its own special design. Bright colors, muted colors, the ability to change colors – each of these traits are for a purpose.

And so it is with us, we each have been given different features, personalities and talents.

And it is good!

Be yourself, be who God created you to be – and stop trying to be someone else.

Then you’ll see that everything God created was good, as well.

Genesis 1:20-23

[20] And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” [21] So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” [23] And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

The waters teem with life. Fish, Sharks, Whales, shrimp and millions of others are suddenly thrust into the depths of the ocean.

Just above the new life in the sea, the sky is filled with birds, beautiful birds, who soar through the air.

Amazing.

But what’s most amazing to me is that neither those in the sea, or those that fly in the sky above are much suited to each other’s environment.

Most birds don’t swim well. Those that do can only stay underwater so long before they drown.

Most fish don’t last more than minutes above water. They suffocate.

Take a fish out of water, and it is just a slimy mess.

Clip a bird’s wings and it turns into one of the clumsiest ground walkers in the world.

That’s because fish were meant to swim, and birds were meant to soar.

God created these animals for a purpose, they were designed for something.

In the same way, God has made each one of us, humans, differently. We all have different talents, different God-given gifts.

How are you using what God has given you today?

Genesis 1:14-19

[14] And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, [15] and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. [16] And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. [17] And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, [18] to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19] And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Sun. During this time of year, I encounter a lot of sun. I’ll get sun-burned, sun-tanned and frankly end up being burnt out on sun. I’ll come back from a week of camp and just want to stay inside. The moon though, the moon and I have a fickle relationship. Half of the time the moon doesn’t even show up to be seen, busy hiding behind a cloud or only revealing a small part of itself. We used to like to call those “fingernail moons.”

What does this have to do with anything?

My relationship with the sun reminds me of my relationship with people. I love to be out among them, but sometimes I get burnt out. Sometimes I need to retreat to home, to keep from exploding at someone who really doesn’t deserve it.

My relationship with the moon reminds me of my relationship with God… except this time, I’m the moon. I don’t show up, I hide behind busyness, relationships and media… I’ll only reveal a bit of myself to God – and I only get a small piece of Him in return.

The kicker of it all is this: I know that if I spend more time with God, I won’t get as burned out on people. If I don’t get burned out on people, I can actually love them the way He wants me to. Instead, though, I just pour myself into other things, and get burned out… because I’m not trying to have that relationship with Him.

Where are you at today?

Is your relationship with God a game of hide and seek?

Is your relationship with people one of, well, just plain hide?

Be honest, sound out in the comments, and share where you’re at today.

Genesis 1:11-13

[11] And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. [12] The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13] And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Fruit and vegetables, the first I’ve always loved, the second has had to grow on me as I, myself, grew up. It used to be that I hated eating vegetables, at least most kinds. Corn and peas were never part of the hated vegetables for me. Disdain was held for those such as canned spinach, broccoli, tomatoes and cauliflower.

Now, aside from canned spinach – which Popeye can keep, I love almost every vegetable.

What does that have to do with anything, Isaiah?

We’ve come to the Third Day in creation – God has created all plant life. Some of the plants I don’t like, and some of the plants are just plain awesome. Yet each and every one is part of God’s creation, He created it and said it was good.

I treat people in the same way. I love some and show, sometimes, disdain and hate towards others.

Yet, each person is God’s creation and He loves them.

How are you treating the people around you today?

Are you loving them, as God does? or

Are you ignoring some and hating others?

Every person you will encounter today IS loved by God. Let’s love them too.

[this week we will forgo Tech Support Thursdays for another Genesis blog]

Genesis 1:9-10

[9] And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. [10] God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

The seas, and dry land, are now in existence.

I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was young.

That’s not really a random statement, I swear. I wanted to study the ocean, the marine life that lives in the blue. I wanted to swim with dolphins, watch whales as they leap into the atmosphere. I wanted to swim with Manta Rays, scuba dive to coral reefs, and see the oceans of the world.

But I lived smack-dab in the middle of the dry land known as the USA. I had glimpses in aquariums, but have yet to see the real thing. Yet, that desire that was so strong during my youth has faded. I still want to see those things… but I don’t desire to study them.

I’m now more interested in their creator.

I desire to know more about God, to know Him better, to grow in my relationship with Him. As I’ve come to know Him better, I see that the things He created, including you and me, are good!

I would love to have all of the adventures I dreamed about as a boy… but I’d rather stay on this adventure that God has given.

What about you?

What were some of the big dreams in your life as a child?

Genesis 1:6-8

[6] And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” [7] And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. [8] And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Once again, God speaks and that which He desires, happens. What amazing power!

Some of the notes I’ve been reading say that other Near Eastern creation stories also center around water, but it is personified as a god… it itself helps with the creation, on its own terms. Yet here, God, the LORD, has created the water, and then uses and forms it as he wishes.

It’s kind’ve silly to think about, but I think we do the same thing as the Near Easterners did. We personify things, or resources, and make them gods. We make things our idols – pretending that they have their own power.

An idol that pops up in my life sometimes is technology (computers/videogames/etc). I’m amazed and enthralled by technology, to the point of devoting much of my time to learning about it, reading news about it, discovering new things about it.

Then I ask myself, do I do the same with God? Do I devote time to learning about Him, to studying His word, to reading books that help explain God, to discovering new things about Him?

If you’re like me, you’ll answer with a resounding, “… not really.”

I can say that God is above all in my life as much as I want, but saying isn’t doing. Saying God is #1 doesn’t put Him in the #1 spot. In order for it to be real, I have to make a conscious decision, every day, every hour, that God is #1.

Today, I resolve to set God as #1 in my life.

What about you?