06/01/2026
Monday Morning Blog
Sunday Scripture Passage
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 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. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
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.”
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. 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. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. - Genesis 1:1-2:3
Thoughts
We are beginning a new sermon series going through the first few chapters of the Bible, of Genesis, from the creation of everything up until Noah and the flood. These narratives show God creating the heavens and the earth, making mankind in His image (the Imago Dei), and the Fall of humanity with sin entering in and the decline from there. Of course, this all opens with the first creation narrative in Genesis 1, where God takes 6 days (whether literal 24 hour days or not) to create all of the heavens and the earth. He creates light to separate the day and night on day 1. Which is connected to day 4, when God creates the sun to govern the day and the moon to govern the night, along with the stars we see in the sky. On day 2, he separates the sky and the seas, which is connected to day 5, when He creates the birds of the air and the creatures of the waters. On day 3, God creates dry ground, which sprouts forth plants and trees with all the fruit they provide. This connects to day 6, when God creates all the livestock, crawly creatures on the ground, and wild animals. And finally, mankind, male and female, rule over them, and they are made in the image of God. After most created parts, God calls them good, and when it is all done on day 6, He calls them very good.
What I enjoy about this passage is that it focuses on God, Yahweh, as the One who created all that we see, seen and unseen. And He created everything for life to flourish and for mankind to rule and have dominion and have life abundantly. Of course, as we will see in Genesis 3, sin enters into the world and becomes fallen through Adam and Eve. Then Jesus comes to restore our relationship with God the Father through His death and resurrection and ascension. For Jesus came so that we may have life in Him, and have it abundantly; whereas the enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy. So, as Christians today, we must support life in all circumstances. From protecting and standing for the unborn, to ending things like medically assisted su***de and promotion of things that destroy bodies and souls, to making sure all life is supported and mourning when life is taken or ended. As Christians, we must support every facet of life, from the womb to the tomb. For our Lord and Savior created us and made us in His image, and we must treat all people accordingly, leading them to Jesus Christ, the Way and Truth and Life.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I am your witness. I long to be like you.
I receive your righteousness and release my sinfulness. I receive your wholeness and release my brokenness. I receive your fullness and release my emptiness. I receive your peace and release my anxiety. I receive your joy and release my despair. I receive your healing and release my sickness. I receive your love and release my selfishness.
Come, Holy Spirit, transform my heart, mind, soul, and strength so that my consecration becomes your demonstration; that our lives become your sanctuary. For the glory of God our Father, amen.
