In The Beginning

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

Genesis 1:1, ESV

My husband and I recently visited the Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky as well as the Ark Encounter, its sister attraction.  As we strolled through biblical history, we observed man’s amazing interpretation of God’s original creation—a picturesque universe—vast, unspoiled, and serene.

Genesis 1 conveys how God spoke the world into existence in six days. At the end of each day he looked over all he’d fashioned and “saw that it was good.”

Sadly, it’s impossible for God to observe today’s world and say it’s good. Thanks to the first man, Adam, and his lady, Eve, life in a perfect world is no longer an option. In fact, our world’s corrupt condition bears little resemblance to its idyllic beginning.

As an artist, I can't imagine placing my finished work, my masterpiece, into the hands of a small child. A child who has no appreciation for the time, heart, and emotion I’ve invested into the creation process. However, God did exactly that. The Master Artist crowned humanity with his glory and entrusted the work of his fingers into our hands—hands of mere children.

Am I a faithful steward of his creation and the days he's entrusted to me? Are you? As we stand on the threshold of a new year can we look back over 2016 and say it was good?

America just weathered the nastiest election season in our nation’s history. I dare say all of us, irrespective of our party affiliation, would eagerly shout with one resounding voice, “good riddance” to 2016. But let’s look at the year from a personal perspective.

Perhaps you’ve experienced blessings that far outweigh your sorrow. For you, releasing the year to an unknown future is difficult. For others who’ve experienced great sadness, personal tragedy, and loss, you’re more than happy to bid a hardy farewell to the last 365 days.

None of us know what 2017 has in store, but its days spread out before us like a primed canvas. Unspoiled by human touch, it offers us the hope of a brand new start. How can we be faithful with the time God’s allotted to us and use it for his glory?

In 1 Corinthians 3, the Apostle Paul communicates that a builder must be careful how he builds. “No man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (v.11).

If we establish 2017 on the sure foundation of Christ, we’ll be able to look back at the end of the year and say, “It was good because in the beginning, God. . .

Oh, that I would trust him as much as he trusts me.

Now it's your turn. What is one aspiration you hope to initiate for "good" in the new year?

I always welcome your comments.

Happy New Year!

Starr

** This article was first published in Thrive magazine, January 2017

I Matter

"God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." —Voltaire

Today, December 8^th is my birthday. In my quiet time with the Lord this morning two scriptures came to my mind—2 Samuel 7:18 written in the photo above and Psalm 8. The Psalm, I selected for my birth day.

³When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

    human beings that you care for them?

⁵ You have made them a little lower than the angels

    and crowned them with glory and honor.

⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their feet:

When we look at ourselves in light of God and the vastness of his creation, we feel small. However, we need to see ourselves as God does. God looked over all of his creation and saw that it was good. Humanity was the pinnacle of his handiwork.

From the dust of the earth, God created us in his three-fold image—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, giving us a three-fold nature—a body, a soul, and a spirit. Then, he breathed life into us.

Our spirit man most reflects his image. He’s given us the capacity to know him and to reflect his character so others will see him and realize their value in his sight.

The next time you question your worth as a person, remember God ascribed a high value to you. So much so, he sent his Son to die for you so that you can spend eternity with him.

Don’t let anything mar the image of his glory in your life. It matters. I matter. And so do you. 

Now it's your turn.

I always welcome your comments.

Blessings, 
Starr

WATCHWORD WEDNESDAY: Wonderstruck

"When I consider your heavens,
      the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
      which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
      human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
      and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
      you put everything under their feet."
―Psalm 8:3-7, NIV

As an artist, I can't even begin to imagine placing my finished work, my masterpiece, into the hands of a small child. One who can't even begin to fathom or appreciate the time, the heart, and the emotion invested into its creation process. Yet, God has done just that.

God, the Master Artist, crowned us with glory and entrusted the work of his fingers into our hands―the hands of his children.

He is faithful, even when we are faithless. Oh, that I would trust him as much as he trusts me. However, I can't wrap my mind around that either.

Now it's your turn. What is one thing about our Creator or his creation that leaves you wonderstruck?

Please leave a comment.

Blessings
Starr