Good day dear friends. It's wonderful to see life returning to normal somewhat, for some; for others life will never be the same after two major hurricanes. Our prayers for those still displaced and separated from loved ones. Our prayers of thanksgiving for families being reunited. Our prayers for safe travel for those who are and will be making their trips home.
Our personal thanks to all who prayed for our situation and Nellie's surgery. She's recovering at home after spending Friday night in the hospital. Our special thanks to those who came by and those who brought food to the house. May the Lord continue to bless you! I will share our "adventure" on my blog sometime later.
Yesterday our sermon was entitled, "For God So Loved the World He Gave," and it centered on the attitude behind that famous verse, God loves, so God gives. We'll continue our study of that this week.
Here is our study guide for today:
Monday: Read Genesis 2:4b-15. Make a list of what God gave to the new creatures. What did God expect in return? How have God’s blessings affected your life? How have you returned a blessing to God?
Here is the above text from the NRSV:
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
I'll share a simple list, you may have more or less of what I read from this passage. First we see God giving us the earth. Not quite formed in the way God wanted, but enough to support humans. God gave us life. After forming this first man from the ground, God breathes life into him. Then God gives the man a place to live, a garden where every possible food source is provided from the trees. God also planted a symbol of life in the midst or some say, middle of the garden, along with a tree that could give humans the wisdom to tell the difference between good and evil. Then the man is taken to this garden, which has rivers flowing through it and told "to till it and keep it."
Our God is a God of love. God desires a relationship with us. And our God has the type of love that gives. No where in this story do we find God asking for anything in return for what God gives, except to be in relationship. Out of our love we should be seeking ways to return to God that love that God deserves, as well as our obedience and trust. For those of us who have seen children grow up before our very eyes when they've decide on their own to give us something, it is a great day and one feels so special and blessed. It seemed our girls each reached a point where they would be nursing on a bottle and they'd stop and point it to us like, "you want some?"
Our God is a God who gives. The most powerful and best known verse of scripture is John 3:16. God loves the world so much that Jesus Christ was given to us to save us and bring us life. We know this verse so well, we tend to overlook the giving part of it. God loves you and me so much, Christ was offered for you and me. God loves us so much God gives.
For many churches this is stewardship season when we take stock of what God has shared with us and we begin to make plans for the coming church year. Some churches have stewardship campaigns, others simply remind their members to give. Keep this in mind as your church comes to you: You are a child of a God who loves you and has given to you. What can you do to return your love? Please be in honest prayer about all you have and all you know you need to return, with love, to God. This is a time to move up in faith, if you're not yet tithing, to become people who give to the Lord.
PRAYER: God of love and good gifts, we praise you and thank you for all you have shared with us. I thank you for Jesus Christ who came to show us the better way and gave His life for me. I pray that I woulc continue to be a person who grows and gives. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
