11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[a] 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.
After modelling the foundations of our soul God calls fruit to spring forth from it and cover it. This is like the fruits of the spirit that I've read about. He creates a greenhouse within us, and then He plants the first seeds of his love and life, ready for His spirit to nurture them and guide us in how to nurture them. It is the next part or the next step in the process of us being recreated. Equally as beautiful and vital as the others.
We are told in the NT that each tree produces fruit according to its own kind. I know I have sometimes been blinded, or have blinded myself into believing that a rogue piece of fruit came from a very different tree. Like a rotten apple being plucked from a tree that promised ripe and juicy ones. I have looked at situations and marvelled "Why did this tree produce such foul fruit in my hands? There must be something wrong with the tree!"
But we aren't to look at what God has given us and blame him. What I was tending to was sin, only I name and dressed it up in terms of 'good'. And how badly I wanted the fruit of that labour to be something I could present to God and say 'Look at this!'. Something that I could then seed and replant again and again until I had a whole orchard. Instead the fruit that grew was a weed that threatened to kill and override the gospel, the truth. God gave me the gardening handbook but I chose not to read it. I wanted to believe that this was the right plant. I read my own manual about how to care for this Garden of Eden within myself. Duh! God's garden requires God's instruction. And I definitely want to be His.
However ,when we do tread carefully, and seek out the weeds of our soul, and discern between the good and the bad plants, the fruit does ripen into exactly what God said it would.
How often do I look at my own fruit and marvel at how it got there? I tell myself 'But I didn't do anything wrong! This is your garden God - you let it grow!'. I was trying to be gracious, generous, loving, trusting in God. Well check again dear - the fruit of the Spirit comes from the Lord alone and His love sprouts no evil. No, I was being self-righteous, greedy, selfish and doubting God.
But God's not walking out on me, not yet and not ever. Because there's a greater one at work than myself in this garden and its through Him and by Him that I know God will create a sweet place where life bursts forth and produces all sorts of fruit. I am so grateful for the work He does in us, and the discipline he provides to train us. I pray that I do not grow lax or indifferent to the overgrown tangled messy corners of my soul where the weeds set deep and stubborn roots. I pray for the discernment, courage, strength and motivation to see a bad tree for what it is and that through Jesus I can rip it out at the roots. Create in me a garden that glorifies you Lord and produces the fruit of your Spirit!
Monday 17 March 2014
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.
My journal excerpt for this begins:
"Lord trying to place the cross over this and see a connection is difficult. Its also 5.50am and I'm in Doha airport..." So I apologise in advance for this one coming out with more gobbledegook than usual.
What we've seen so far is that the creation of the world isn't just some distant, long ago event that doesn't really relate to us today, or relate to the Christian faith in the modern age. We've seen that the creation of the world can reflect the recreation of man when we choose to submit to Christ as our Lord and Saviour. You said 'Let there be light' and there was. In the same way you ignite your light in us, without which we are only darkness and Your spirit is an external being. We have no choice in this matter, it is purely Your will, Your breath, Your word.
Then we saw the connection between the way you created the sky, a frame for the light, and how you recreate our soul, striking in new colours and striking out the old. So how does the creation of land resound with all this?
Its hard to trace a connection God, but when I look at these verses, I think they echo the cross and the work achieved in Jesus' crucifixion in a few ways.
Firstly, we are told in the Psalm 18 how the LORD is our rock. As the song sings out "Christ the Lord, Cornerstone!" God has given us steady ground to stand on. He reveals the land by drawing back the waters. He reveals himself to us and as we kneel to him we suddenly are standing on a ground more solid than we've ever known. It makes me think of us being in a boat, out at sea in a ferocious storm. But then Christ appears and suddenly we're no longer tossed to and fro by the waves (Ephesians 4:14). Christ is our rock, he is our land.
Secondly, God recreates our land, metaphorically. Before God opens our eyes and enters our hearts we are like a barren land, inhospitable, dark and dangerous. Full of sin and unfit for God to dwell in. We are dead, but God is light and love and life and creates the foundations for Him to set up camp in our souls. This links in with how we were made from the earth. We are dust that God takes and breathes into to bring about something far more beautiful.
The idea of us being land, good land for God's dwelling also resonates with Jesus' parables about the four souls. This formation of new land within us is the next step after God grants us new light and recolours our sky. And it is completely necessary: we need to be good land in order for the gospel to take seed and grow in our heart. It is my prayer that God works this soil not to be that which is full of rocks, or lets weeds overwhelm it. But that through His grace and power I might become the best I can be this side of heaven.
My journal excerpt for this begins:
"Lord trying to place the cross over this and see a connection is difficult. Its also 5.50am and I'm in Doha airport..." So I apologise in advance for this one coming out with more gobbledegook than usual.
What we've seen so far is that the creation of the world isn't just some distant, long ago event that doesn't really relate to us today, or relate to the Christian faith in the modern age. We've seen that the creation of the world can reflect the recreation of man when we choose to submit to Christ as our Lord and Saviour. You said 'Let there be light' and there was. In the same way you ignite your light in us, without which we are only darkness and Your spirit is an external being. We have no choice in this matter, it is purely Your will, Your breath, Your word.
Then we saw the connection between the way you created the sky, a frame for the light, and how you recreate our soul, striking in new colours and striking out the old. So how does the creation of land resound with all this?
Its hard to trace a connection God, but when I look at these verses, I think they echo the cross and the work achieved in Jesus' crucifixion in a few ways.
Firstly, we are told in the Psalm 18 how the LORD is our rock. As the song sings out "Christ the Lord, Cornerstone!" God has given us steady ground to stand on. He reveals the land by drawing back the waters. He reveals himself to us and as we kneel to him we suddenly are standing on a ground more solid than we've ever known. It makes me think of us being in a boat, out at sea in a ferocious storm. But then Christ appears and suddenly we're no longer tossed to and fro by the waves (Ephesians 4:14). Christ is our rock, he is our land.
Secondly, God recreates our land, metaphorically. Before God opens our eyes and enters our hearts we are like a barren land, inhospitable, dark and dangerous. Full of sin and unfit for God to dwell in. We are dead, but God is light and love and life and creates the foundations for Him to set up camp in our souls. This links in with how we were made from the earth. We are dust that God takes and breathes into to bring about something far more beautiful.
The idea of us being land, good land for God's dwelling also resonates with Jesus' parables about the four souls. This formation of new land within us is the next step after God grants us new light and recolours our sky. And it is completely necessary: we need to be good land in order for the gospel to take seed and grow in our heart. It is my prayer that God works this soil not to be that which is full of rocks, or lets weeds overwhelm it. But that through His grace and power I might become the best I can be this side of heaven.
Friday 14 February 2014
Ramblings from a Young Christian - Genesis 1:6-8
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse[a] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made[b] 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.[c] And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
The first 'place' that God created was heaven. Some other translations use 'sky' instead of heaven. So I'm going to read this as God created the sky, because to be completely honest I don't know if heaven was part of God's creation of the earth or something else entirely different.
I wonder why God created the sky the 2nd day. I know this is going very deeply into your Word Father, but I wonder if this too reflects our recreation.
You created the surrounding area to better glorify the light. For what does the sky do but show the radiance of the light? What is the sky without light? Nothing! But with the light the sky is suddenly a painted canvas. We sigh at the beauty of the sky as the sun rises and sets. And just look at a rainbow. Water droplets transformed into a spectrum of colour when the light shines through them.
I guess this is, in some way, what God does with us. He gives us His light and then he starts to repaint our canvas using his light. He changes our colours, creating fresh paint strokes in new directions. He is repainting us. And all of this would have been impossible without Christ's death. For without Christ God would have seen my void and crushed it - and rightfully so. An eternity of punishment is what I deserve. But in Christ, clothed in his bright righteousness and blazing glory, God sees the picture of his Son and is pleased.
He is pleased even before he starts the renovation of this tattered portrait. But He knows a better me. A me that He intended and so he has begun another masterpiece. I'm so excited for the day that I get to stand before God, finished and complete with the Son at my side. Until then I get to enjoy seeing the new colours and contours God creates in my soul through his Holy Spirit.
For a while I struggled with understanding how I could still be me and yet be everything a woman is called to be in Christ. Several words ascribed to women, 'meek', 'gentle' and so on just didn't sit right with me. I am often boisterous, clumsy and abrupt. And I kept wondering, does my personality have to change? Do I have to lose that part of who I am?
Now I realise 'Why WOULDN'T I want to lose that?' Are those parts of me worth hanging on to? Certainly not. I believe God creates us all individually and He loves me for who I am with all my quirks. But I also know that there are some parts of me that are totally okay to be painted over. Because God is a greater artist of souls than I could ever imagine. Thank you Lord for the work you do in us.
The first 'place' that God created was heaven. Some other translations use 'sky' instead of heaven. So I'm going to read this as God created the sky, because to be completely honest I don't know if heaven was part of God's creation of the earth or something else entirely different.
I wonder why God created the sky the 2nd day. I know this is going very deeply into your Word Father, but I wonder if this too reflects our recreation.
You created the surrounding area to better glorify the light. For what does the sky do but show the radiance of the light? What is the sky without light? Nothing! But with the light the sky is suddenly a painted canvas. We sigh at the beauty of the sky as the sun rises and sets. And just look at a rainbow. Water droplets transformed into a spectrum of colour when the light shines through them.
I guess this is, in some way, what God does with us. He gives us His light and then he starts to repaint our canvas using his light. He changes our colours, creating fresh paint strokes in new directions. He is repainting us. And all of this would have been impossible without Christ's death. For without Christ God would have seen my void and crushed it - and rightfully so. An eternity of punishment is what I deserve. But in Christ, clothed in his bright righteousness and blazing glory, God sees the picture of his Son and is pleased.
He is pleased even before he starts the renovation of this tattered portrait. But He knows a better me. A me that He intended and so he has begun another masterpiece. I'm so excited for the day that I get to stand before God, finished and complete with the Son at my side. Until then I get to enjoy seeing the new colours and contours God creates in my soul through his Holy Spirit.
For a while I struggled with understanding how I could still be me and yet be everything a woman is called to be in Christ. Several words ascribed to women, 'meek', 'gentle' and so on just didn't sit right with me. I am often boisterous, clumsy and abrupt. And I kept wondering, does my personality have to change? Do I have to lose that part of who I am?
Now I realise 'Why WOULDN'T I want to lose that?' Are those parts of me worth hanging on to? Certainly not. I believe God creates us all individually and He loves me for who I am with all my quirks. But I also know that there are some parts of me that are totally okay to be painted over. Because God is a greater artist of souls than I could ever imagine. Thank you Lord for the work you do in us.
Monday 3 February 2014
Genesis 1:3-5
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day
Its important to note that the first time I read this I made a huge mistake into thinking that the creation of light meant the creation of the sun, moon and stars. I read 'let there be lights', not 'light', and so my initial notes for this verse actually apply more to verses 14-20. It was a rookie mistake, I've never read over creation enough times to remember what was created on each day. The notes that follow are the notes made after realising my error.
The light that God creates on the first day of creation reflects the initial enlightenment of our souls when we come to know Christ. I know that the first day I gave my heart and life to Christ, when I heard God speak so clearly to me, I felt truly enlightened. It was as if God had been waiting above the dark of my empty soul and suddenly whispered 'let there be light'. He created light inside of me the same way he created light in the empty world.
It is no surprise that God created light first. We are told continuously throughout the Bible that God is light(1 John 1:5), that he brings us into the light (Ephesians 5:8) and that he continues to guide our path with his light (Psalm 119:105). We also know that there is no darkness within God, for he is holy and pure, and so maybe this is why he separates the dark and light. Perhaps he gave day and night in order to show the relation between the Spirit and flesh. When one is advancing the other is receding, and they're never still or stagnant (Galatians 5:17).
Without Christ, the light that we now get to encounter would be withdrawn and distant. God is light and we were darkness, and those two do not co-exist. It is only through Christ, and what he endured on the cross, that the promise of Isaiah 60:20 is fulfilled
Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.
For I know that it is now the Lord who is my light. My life nor days are ruled by sin or worldly forces of darkness. I am now living in the light, and it is my constant prayer to walk in the light of God. But I also know that when I am called home, or upon Jesus' return to Earth, we will fully see that light.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Revelation 21:23
I'm not sure if the light that was created in the beginning was the light of the glory of God, and what we experience in this world now is limited by the fall. Or whether the light he created on that first day was just an echo, a reflection, a small piece of the jigsaw puzzle to help us better understand the bigger picture. But I do know that God is light, and full of light, and He extends that light to me and you, having forgiven our sins through Christ's crucifixion.
Friday 31 January 2014
Ramblings from a Young Christian - Genesis 1:2
As you can see, this study is taking some time. In two days I've done 2 verses. Although I will be impressed at this depth when it comes to genealogies - I'm going to need a lot of grace from God to read through those thoroughly, let alone study them in depth.
These are the notes I took down after reading Genesis 1:2. Forgive me if they're confusing. My brain is sometimes like a huge bowl of spaghetti, each thought linked to several others and untangling them is quite a task.
Before creation Earth was formless and empty, much in the same way that we are before being reborn in Christ. The Bible continuously teaches us that outside of Christ, or before we meet God, we are "dead" (Ephesians 2:4-5 for example). We are, just like Earth, without any form and void, and darkness too covers us.
I cannot help but wonder if the spirit of God hovers over our waters in the same way as Gen 1:2. Did the Holy Spirit linger over this empty case and see a creation within? I have heard, or read, of the Spirit softening our hearts, wooing us before we come to know Christ. Perhaps that is much like this moment. The Holy Spirit waited above the vast emptiness of Earth, poised to begin creating. In us, He creates a new heart. In this way, I feel that this first day of creation reflects, to some extent, the initial re-creation of us.
This void that Earth filled is described in different ways depending on which version of the Bible you read. The two I have were translated to say '...the face of the deep' and ...'waters'. Was there really water there? Or was it just deep deep nothingness? I guess the texture of nothing is a little like water. Fluid that only the hands of God could hold and temper.
Comparing this moment to the moment of Christ's crucifixion shows so many differences. Earth did not start in the same way that new life for many of us starts - through the cross.
To begin with, Earth was empty and formless. There was, it feels, almost an element of peace, calmness and serenity in creation (of course! it was God alone, and He is satisfied in himself). However, when Christ was on the cross the world had become filled with rock and stone and water. The world was violent, being aggressively upheaved by the fallen nature of man and dominated by sin. In the former case, creation, God is in control, above all and dominating all, creating life and a place for fellowship between Him and his people. There exists only good. In the latter case man has augmented himself as God. God has reduced himself to man. He is still God but now a part of creation, part of all and enduring death so that we don't have to. Ultimately restoring us to our Father and creator so that we may have the fellowship we were designed for and so deeply long for.
How different the world became after the fall. How grateful I am that our God is not one who remains aloof in the heavens, hovering and watching. Instead he entered into the mess we made. We are not left empty and void. Thank you Father for Christ and what He endured in my place!
These are the notes I took down after reading Genesis 1:2. Forgive me if they're confusing. My brain is sometimes like a huge bowl of spaghetti, each thought linked to several others and untangling them is quite a task.
Day 2 - Genesis 1:2
2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Before creation Earth was formless and empty, much in the same way that we are before being reborn in Christ. The Bible continuously teaches us that outside of Christ, or before we meet God, we are "dead" (Ephesians 2:4-5 for example). We are, just like Earth, without any form and void, and darkness too covers us.
I cannot help but wonder if the spirit of God hovers over our waters in the same way as Gen 1:2. Did the Holy Spirit linger over this empty case and see a creation within? I have heard, or read, of the Spirit softening our hearts, wooing us before we come to know Christ. Perhaps that is much like this moment. The Holy Spirit waited above the vast emptiness of Earth, poised to begin creating. In us, He creates a new heart. In this way, I feel that this first day of creation reflects, to some extent, the initial re-creation of us.
This void that Earth filled is described in different ways depending on which version of the Bible you read. The two I have were translated to say '...the face of the deep' and ...'waters'. Was there really water there? Or was it just deep deep nothingness? I guess the texture of nothing is a little like water. Fluid that only the hands of God could hold and temper.
Comparing this moment to the moment of Christ's crucifixion shows so many differences. Earth did not start in the same way that new life for many of us starts - through the cross.
To begin with, Earth was empty and formless. There was, it feels, almost an element of peace, calmness and serenity in creation (of course! it was God alone, and He is satisfied in himself). However, when Christ was on the cross the world had become filled with rock and stone and water. The world was violent, being aggressively upheaved by the fallen nature of man and dominated by sin. In the former case, creation, God is in control, above all and dominating all, creating life and a place for fellowship between Him and his people. There exists only good. In the latter case man has augmented himself as God. God has reduced himself to man. He is still God but now a part of creation, part of all and enduring death so that we don't have to. Ultimately restoring us to our Father and creator so that we may have the fellowship we were designed for and so deeply long for.
How different the world became after the fall. How grateful I am that our God is not one who remains aloof in the heavens, hovering and watching. Instead he entered into the mess we made. We are not left empty and void. Thank you Father for Christ and what He endured in my place!
Ramblings from a Young Christian - Genesis 1:1
A good friend told me about a revelation she had while praying. She realised that sometimes, we have to take a step first. Sometimes, we have to build habits before they become enjoyable. We have to spend time with somebody, before we truly enjoy spending time with them. I felt convicted of my relationship with God. How many times have I let my prayer time and study time be laid aside for the benefit of something else, something far less important? I couldn't just continue to pray for motivation. My motivation is knowing God - something I should and could definitely make time for.
So I decided to focus my study of His word and created attainable goals with a system to work through. I'm going to be reading through the Old Testament and laying the cross over it. I've heard countless times that the Old Testament is continually pointing to Christ and the Cross. Well, I want to check that out. Too many times I get waylaid by the idea that the Old Testament is, well, old. Its time I got a better understanding of it, and God-willing, I'm hoping that this guided study will help me out with that.
The first day I started was a few weeks ago. I headed into this expecting to have to spend time chewing over verses and praying for enlightenment. And boy did I! But God has been gracious so far and I am being overwhelmed daily by the love, grace and might of our God. These are my notes and ramblings...
Day 1: Genesis 1:1
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
What immediately strikes me about this verse is that God creates. He is creator, not created. God is many things, but created is not one of them.
The next big question that came to mind was "If God is all-knowing, then surely he would have known what was going to happen with his creation. If so, why did he continue to create us?"
This is a pretty big question and it is not for me to know the whole answer. But something that came to my mind is that, in many ways, creation isn't finished yet.
This is true in the sense that we, as fallen human beings, are not yet perfect. I am still being made into the person God has always intended me to be. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come'. While I am new, and saved in Christ, already done and finished; the working out of some of that is still occurring. Its like some weird thing with time that I cannot understand because I am a part of it. The pot is finished yet still being moulded.
God finished the initial creation after the 6 days in the beginning of time and then took a rest. But after being rejected by his own creation, which he knew would happen - God chose to offer the same fellowship he had destined them for. How? After falling, we were not good enough to fellowship with him. There's no need to be convinced, just looking into my own thoughts shows it, and if that doesn't do it for you check out the history of humanity. Humanity is messed up - we're broken. There's no way we could associate with God, who is perfect and holy.
The only way around it would be to justify sin. A price needs to be paid so that we can say that sin has been accounted for and no longer comes between us and God. But if the price is to match the crime we are to be given an infinite sentence. Eternity in hell. How then should that solve the problem? God's creation, by our own doing, is still unable to be with the Creator. Separated now by the judgement required by God's holy attributes.
But God doesn't leave us. He doesn't give up. Instead he says "I want you so much, I will die for you. I will take your sin, because I am the only one big enough to carry it. You will sing my praises and at last, we will be together, forever."
I don't know about you, but nothing else I have ever felt, seen, read or listened to quite expresses love in the same way. His love for us is overwhelming and clear even from the first moment in our history. Thank You God!
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