Blog_Saturday, January 3, 2015

Saturday, January 3, 2015 [By Keesha Sullivan]

"I don't like myself," my student sighed. I looked at her and smiled, "Well, I like you." She looked directly into my eyes with intense curiosity. "Why?" she questioned. "You are incredibly smart, creative, and a wonderful student," I answered. I went on to explain with specific examples why I felt the way that I did about her. She couldn't suppress the smile that slowly lit up her tiny face. As I look back on this experience, I wish I could've said so much more. I wish I could've said, "When God created [you], He made [you] in the likeness of [Himself]. He created [all of us] and blessed us…" (Genesis 5:1-2). 

As Pastor Taylor would say, "WOW!" It is amazing to know that God created all of us in His very image. Our King, our Creator, our Provider, created us in His likeness.  As I read Genesis 5 for our reading today, I looked at this passage differently than I had in the past. Genesis 5:1-2 became personal to me during this reading. I believe the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and shed light on Genesis 5:1-2 when I read Genesis 5:3. Genesis 5:3 says, "When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth." I know that what I am about to say might sound incredibly simple, but it was incredibly meaningful to me. Adam, and every other dad, has sons and daughters that resemble them in looks, behavior, and even mannerisms. We truly are God's sons and daughters. We too resemble Him in looks, behavior, and even mannerisms. He is our first Father, and He designed us with great and mighty purposes in mind.

We were the only part of God's creation that was made in His image. In fact, even when sin and the enemy tried to break our relationship with God, He sent Jesus to keep us in a right relationship with Him.  Ephesians 1:5-6 says, "In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves." We are children of the Most High God. I know loving parents that love their children in spite of what they do, who they are, and who they will become. They love their children just because they are their children. It dawned on me that God loves us the same way. In spite of what we do, who we are, and who we will become, he loves us. He loves all of His creation. 

We have so many reasons to be grateful to God. "Let [us] praise the name of the Lord, for at His command [we] were created," (Psalm 148:5). My student has a great reason to love and stand in amazement of herself. She was designed in the image of God. This makes her worthy, lovable, and incredibly beautiful. There is nothing that she nor we have to do in order to be amazing. It says in Isaiah 43: 4, "[We] are precious and honored in [God's] sight…"

Lord we thank You for creating us in Your likeness and knitting us together in our mother's womb. We thank You that we have nothing to fear because we belong to You. You are an amazing, loving, kind, Father. We thank You that You created us for Your glory. We also thank You that we can find meaning for our lives through being in a close, intimate relationship with You. Help us to stand in awe of Your creation. We pray all these things in the mighty and wonderful name of Jesus.