February 10

^{Proverbs 8: 27-32}

 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
    when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
 when he established the clouds above
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
 when he gave the sea its boundary
    so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
    Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
 rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.

  "Now then, my children, listen to me;
    blessed are those who keep my ways.

  When I first started to read the bible, one of the first questions that stumped me is found  in Genesis 1:26.  "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, .....'".  Teaching reading is a passion of mine, and one of the first questions I will always ask a student is  - who is the sentence referring to.  So naturally when I read that passage I wondered who is "us".  I looked up God in the Hebrew text for this passage and found the noun Elohim means God in a plural form. Obviously the Trinity existed from the very beginning.  I had my first true "AHA" moment though when I read John 1:1-5 and my confusion was cleared up.  As I sat and read today's Proverbs passage, I could visualize Jesus narrating the story of the creation. After all, He was there. He was the craftsman at The Fathers side (v.30). I could picture a Son in awe of His Father as He was in excitement as a masterpiece was being created that we were a part of.  "I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in His presence rejoicing in His whole world and delighting in mankind"  Jesus was so delighted with us He told His Father "I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given me because You loved Me before the creation of the world" (John 17:24).  Jesus loved us from the very beginning.  We were chosen in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph. 1:4)  When I sat and thought about it, my perspective changed.  Although this love is incomprehensible, it is available.  There was nothing we did or can do to achieve this love.  His love is built in as part of the plan.  All we have to do is receive His love. I think a key is found in Psalm 32:5 "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin". No matter where we are in life, His love is available, all anyone has to do is repent, and receive.  From the beginning of creation, God's love has been unfailing and since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, His love will never fail.


Randi