Month: September 2015

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on earth.” Genesis 1:26 HCSB

All four of our children have unique features. Both of our sons are tall and thin like I am but other than that, they really do not look like they would be brothers. Our daughters are the same way, they both have unique features and most people would not think they were sisters. In other families the children and parents have very similar features and it is easy to see how they would be brothers or sisters.

This verse tells us that God made man in His image and we are created in His likeness. I do not believe this is indicating that man physically looks like God, but rather that man has the ability to think, reason, and make decisions. Man can also experience love and other emotions like God. God desires to have fellowship with us and has provided a way for us to be forgiven of our sins and receive eternal life in heaven. This verse is one of the first references to the Trinity of God, the Father; Jesus the Son; and the Holy Spirit, all of whom were involved in the creation of the world and mankind.

Challenge: Thank God that He is a creative God and that you are made in His image. Do you spiritually look like God? Seek to model Jesus and do what He did while here on earth.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:2-4 HCSB

It would be marvelous if we had the power to say something like, “Let there be a new house,” and ta new house would automatically appear or if we could say, “May this person no longer be sick,” and he was immediately healed or if we could say to the angry waves, “Peace, be still!” and immediately the winds ceased. Only God possesses that type of power. Only God can speak and cause something happen.

The light He created was the sun that is in the middle of our galaxy. Here are some interesting facts about the sun: The sun makes up about 99.86% of the Solar System’s mass. It is about 865,000 miles wide and 1 million earths could go inside of the sun. Around 74% of the Sun’s mass is made up of hydrogen. Helium makes up approximately 24% with other elements such as oxygen, carbon, iron, and neon making up the remaining percentages. Light from the sun reaches earth in about 8 minutes. The temperature of the sun’s surface is estimated to be 9,941 degrees Fahrenheit. Those warm rays are a vital part of the growth of plants and vegetables. Even humans need the benefits of the sun. The sun controls the earth’s climate and weather. This fireball will continue to burn for millions of years. Earth is just the right distance from the sun so living creatures are not too hot or cold. How amazing is the power and precision of God! Everything He created is perfectly made.

Challenge: Thank God for being such a powerful and amazing God. Enjoy the warm rays of the sun and praise God for its light and all He has done for you.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 HCSB

Some people are more creative than others. My son, Nathan, is a web-designer and graphic-designer. He is very creative and develops many different ideas and designs. My wife, Debbie, knows how to do calligraphy and can create some very attractive wedding invitations and other items that need fancier writing. There is a woman in our church who is quite skilled at decorating tables and seems to have an eye for making a table look beautiful with just a few items as a centerpiece.

The ultimate Creator is God. He made the heavens and earth with just a spoken word. Some people believe that the heavens and earth began with a big bang or evolved, but just imagine that the galaxy we live in is spinning at 400,000 miles per hour and it will need 200 million years to make one rotation. There are over one billion other galaxies in the universe just like ours. Some scientists say that the number of stars in the universe is as plentiful as the grains of sand on the beaches of the world. To say that the universe just evolved or just happened is unbelievable. To have everything work in perfect order and efficiency would require the handiwork of a supreme being – God.

Challenge: Just look around and you will see the majestic creation of God that works so perfectly together. The chances of all of this just happening or evolving is impossible. Thank God for His great creation that you are able to enjoy. Listen to the song “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-zJHgaoVa4

The devotional for today begins another cycle of devotions following the Scriptures for the Explore the Bible curriculum produced by Lifeway Christian Resources. Over the last eight years First Things First has produced devotions using Scriptures from every book in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I want to say a big Thank You to those who have faithfully read First Things First and followed our progress through the Bible. It has been a wonderful journey. At times I have struggled to find just the right words to write but at other times the words have come with very little effort. God has always been faithful to provide the right message for His people. I also want to say thank you to my wife, Debbie. She has faithfully edited the devotions to make sure they are grammatically correct and worded properly. I could not have done it without her. Thanks again and it is my prayer that God will continue to use First Things First to bless your life and speak to you in some
way.

Ron Moore