Genesis 1

I just got back from youth. It was a particularly encouraging night for me with small groups where we all shared about our own spiritual growth. It was really motivating to hear how disciplined some girls were at doing daily devotions. So here I am getting my hands in this soapy stuff before I touch any of my lecture notes. Or skype.
I am starting right from the beginning because if I allowed myself to decide which book would be better to start with, I'll probably never get down to anything.

S - Genesis 1

O - In this passage, God created the heavens and the earth. He gave the earth light, sky, land, plants and trees which bear seed and fruit, day and night and the concept of time, creatures of the sea and birds, creatures on land and man, in that order. There is a recurring motif of light over darkness.
V3-4
³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
God commands and it is done. He isn't like buddha who was just a human guy who sat under a tree and said "Ahh...I am enlightened" (ok I am quite biased but in essence that's it). This God is all-powerful.
The light is good and separated from the darkness, whereas in the beginning "darkness was over the surface of the deep" (v2).
From that point on, there are also repetitions of "And God saw that it was good". God seems to have  a pretty clear plan on what He's making of the earth, and he makes sure that everything was good. He brings man into the picture last, after all these good things have been created just for us to rule over it.

V16-18
¹⁶ God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.


Again there's this business of separating the light from the dark. It gives me the impression of separating good from evil; that God wants us to be in the light and away from the darkness. He even got the sun and the moon to "govern" the day and night. He just comes off as a really caring God that made the earth the best place for us.


When we come into the picture in v27
²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,
   in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them.


We were created in the image of God. To be like God, but not God himself. The idea is to live under our creator and be obedient to his command.


²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”


He commanded man to rule over the animals and also reproduce to sustain our kind.


²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.


The whole system  is sustainable through this reproduction and food chain thing. God is really smart and also really kind to us. I don't even know how he has so much faith in man to rule all the creatures on earth.
He is also a really generous God, just blessing us with all these good things on earth so that we can share it all with him. He didn't have to create us and give us life and a purpose, but he did.


A - With such an all-powerful and kind God as our creator, it was always a matter of obedience on our part from the start.  I want to be obedient through getting baptised, and also the 10 commandments.


P - That this bible reading will keep going. That I will be able to apply what I've learnt in my daily life. For me not to be doubtful/nervous about baptism. For friends - I have noted but will not post about or name any names. For family - especially my brother who has returned to Sydney this morning. Pray for safety, spiritual growth, studies and future plans.
Thanking God for youth group, all my Christian friends and a lovely family.