Scripture describes life as "a mist" (James 4:14) and "like grass" (Psalm 90:4-9). This is so incredibly intimidating to me particularly because I seem to figure it out better as I age and then have less time to put my new understanding to good use. However, I rest in the knowledge that the Lord too is aware of my short time here and knows when I have done all the good I am to do. I just feel like there is so much to teach my children, so many relationships to cultivate, and so much to do as a midwife. Is this holding onto my life though or seeking to bring glory to the Lord in my work?
We receive in proportion to our choosing to take the time and "call upon Him" in humble and earnest prayer. Do I feel as if I am falling short because I do seek Him in proper portion?
More often than I would ever having imagined, I see answers to my prayers and am always aware of the reality of His presence. I live in a culture that is ignorant to my calling and even many Christians are indifferent to its relationship to living in faith. There is a certain loneliness to being a midwife. I am given comfort though in my present situation, with only a hint of anxiety which motivates me to keep marching forward.
My children too are aging before my eyes. Their season is passing and I am frightfully aware that I haven't the influence on them I had anticipated. In fact my own childhood seems like a different lifetime.
The Lord is tender and compassionate. He waited for Noah.
It is important to me that the Lord noticed Noah, that He remembered him. Noah was the only righteous man in all the earth. It is so easy for me to say, "You always do this or do that, and don't remember the few exceptions." I certainly would have been so frustrated and angry, that I might have overlooked the good. It thrills me to know the Lord sees the flecks of good in me, the little things that are so often misunderstood or overlooked.
I also find it interesting that it is believed Noah spent 120 years building the ark, which is exactly how long the Lord now limits our own lives. This is when His final grace ends and judgement falls. Admittedly, I never saw the literal relationship between the ark and Jesus Christ in that Noah found refuge in the ark, and all who didn't entered demised. This is true too of Christ and the second coming.
Scripture gives more space to discussion of the flood than to either creation or the fall of man. It was the end of the old world, a world that rejected the Lord, and the beginning of a new era. Today for the first time I realized that just as water covered the earth in Noah's day, and he was protected from the calamity within the arc, we too will be covered by Christ and not suffer the fire that will cover the earth in the second coming. I had always had some anxiety with whether believers would be taken before, during or after the events of end times. It seems I have peace today that we will not suffer. However, those who will ultimately perish will bow. They will recognize the wrath of God whom they had steadily refused to acknowledge or serve.
The Lord has asked me to trust Him and I do have security in His promises for my life. He has "shut me in" so that worldly things cannot touch me as they may otherwise. I am protected in his arc.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Eve
I never considered that Eve died before she saw the fulfillment of God's promise to her. I wonder if she thought Cain was to be her savior and then in recognizing his own fall, what did she think this meant? She thought he came to save life, but instead, he took it. The guilt and regret she must have felt. She likely had no idea what was to come and how far that promise was beyond her own life. Did she think the Lord had not fulfilled His promise?
I have found a great deal of peace in knowing that our Perfect Father did not have children who were perfect. He potentially spent lifetimes with Adam, counseling, teaching, inspiring, and Adam was so easily led astray. Often society judges our children's poor choices as evidence of poor parenting. I realized very soon when my two oldest were well behaved beyond my parenting ability, that I couldn't take credit but is is harder for me to recognize as my children make poor decisions that it isn't directly my fault either. Generational sin seeps through our lives, but we each make our own decisions.
Cain and Abel came from the same stock, both living in the same environment and experiencing the same training. Cain's attitude of deep resentment against God in every circumstance was his downfall. Cain was potentially bitter, resenting God's judgement of his parent's sin and the unfair discrimination against himself. He did not thank God for what he did have from Him, nor enjoy a close relationship with the Lord. I have a son that I fear harbors a heart of bitterness. This is such a sad way to live life.
Catastrophic, life-changing acts of sin are the culmination of lifelong attitudes toward God and His Word that are discernible in daily thoughts and decisions that are distant from Him. Do not, like Cain, ignore this sin of bitterness until it precipitates an open crisis over which you have no control.
A persistent sense of grievance and self-pity is typical of a soul in rebellion against God.
I have always found Cain's exaggeration of his punishment enlightening. He puffed up the consequences and abandoned the Lord, not the other way around. The Lord tried to reassure him, to give him hope but he fled and let Satan twist his reality. Cain was more concerned with his punishment, than his character. Unlike David, who sought out God's mercy.
Lord, please let my heart be willing to hear painful truth.
I have found a great deal of peace in knowing that our Perfect Father did not have children who were perfect. He potentially spent lifetimes with Adam, counseling, teaching, inspiring, and Adam was so easily led astray. Often society judges our children's poor choices as evidence of poor parenting. I realized very soon when my two oldest were well behaved beyond my parenting ability, that I couldn't take credit but is is harder for me to recognize as my children make poor decisions that it isn't directly my fault either. Generational sin seeps through our lives, but we each make our own decisions.
Cain and Abel came from the same stock, both living in the same environment and experiencing the same training. Cain's attitude of deep resentment against God in every circumstance was his downfall. Cain was potentially bitter, resenting God's judgement of his parent's sin and the unfair discrimination against himself. He did not thank God for what he did have from Him, nor enjoy a close relationship with the Lord. I have a son that I fear harbors a heart of bitterness. This is such a sad way to live life.
Catastrophic, life-changing acts of sin are the culmination of lifelong attitudes toward God and His Word that are discernible in daily thoughts and decisions that are distant from Him. Do not, like Cain, ignore this sin of bitterness until it precipitates an open crisis over which you have no control.
A persistent sense of grievance and self-pity is typical of a soul in rebellion against God.
I have always found Cain's exaggeration of his punishment enlightening. He puffed up the consequences and abandoned the Lord, not the other way around. The Lord tried to reassure him, to give him hope but he fled and let Satan twist his reality. Cain was more concerned with his punishment, than his character. Unlike David, who sought out God's mercy.
Lord, please let my heart be willing to hear painful truth.
Sin
When Eve ate the apple, she didn't simply harm herself. Sin reaches beyond the original sinner. Sin is infectious. Personal sin always affects those around us and invades our relationships.
The immediate result of Adam and Eve's disobedience was that their eyes were opened. They knew they were naked. Is it possible that prior to the fall, the garment of light that God was said to be clothed, which is the outward shining manifestation of His glory, had been given in part to them? When sin entered, the original glory they had had from creation left them and they were naked. Their sin was revealed.
I learned from Adam and Eve, that there is no real confession if you also partly blame someone else.
The immediate result of Adam and Eve's disobedience was that their eyes were opened. They knew they were naked. Is it possible that prior to the fall, the garment of light that God was said to be clothed, which is the outward shining manifestation of His glory, had been given in part to them? When sin entered, the original glory they had had from creation left them and they were naked. Their sin was revealed.
I learned from Adam and Eve, that there is no real confession if you also partly blame someone else.
The Fall
Eve's first mistake was engaging in conversation with Satan. Do I do this? I think I do at times, which is quite convicting. I generally talk myself out of it, but I do play around with the idea and let Satan try to convince me at times.
Satan is fabulous at revising, generalizing, and embellishing. He's a schemer (Ephesians 6:11). It is easy to become his victim. When we don't want to come under God's authority, we begin to question the Word and Satan is available to validate our rationale.
Satan creates Doubt. "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
He discourages us. Creates a diversion. He appealed to Eve's self-determined "rights" and plasures through a lie that created a lust within Eve. The serpent focused Eve's attention upon the one prohibition until she forgot that everything else in the garden was hers. She may have wondered whether she was being unjustly kept from something good. The serpent planted in Eve's heart a seed of discontent with God and her circumstances.
Defeats us and causes us delays. "You will not surely die," he said. The devil caused her to lose her healthy fear of disobeying God and to doubt His word concerning punishment. Adam and Eve did die immediately in spirit, and in time, they also died physically.
Eve didn't just eat the apple; she made a serious of small choices that led to the fall. When presented with the choice to doubt God's Word, Eve should have refused to listen further out of loyalty to God. She should have shut the door in her mind and cried out to the Lord. She could have turned to Adam to help her resist the temptation.
I think another important point to the fall is that Adam and Eve weren't cursed, they were given consequences. Was Eve's consequence simply painful childbirth as many believe, or pain in child-rearing which includes her oldest murdering his brother? She lost her son to evil and that pain is greater than any labor a woman may endure.
"The Lord banished them from the garden, but He gave them hope. He provided a way back. When God created Adam and Eve in His own image, He did not intend for them to love and obey Him simply because they had no choice. The man and woman would mature spiritually as they learned from God to choose good instead of evil (Hebrews 5:14). They had the opportunity and responsibility to exercise their will, to choose deliberately either for God or against God, through their response to God's generosity to them and then His clear direction" (BSF, 2013, Lesson 5). As with all of God's tests, the test of the two trees held the potential for blessing.
Imagine having eaten the apple, not only did they hear the voice of their Father calling them but immediately upon eating the apple, they had full knowledge of their sin. I imagine the truth overcoming them like a storm. They could hear it from the distance, smell it even. Colors began to change and they were soon enveloped by the truth, crouching in fear of what they had done and what they know to be true. They realized that their knowledge of good now was that they could not attain it.
Satan is fabulous at revising, generalizing, and embellishing. He's a schemer (Ephesians 6:11). It is easy to become his victim. When we don't want to come under God's authority, we begin to question the Word and Satan is available to validate our rationale.
Satan creates Doubt. "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
He discourages us. Creates a diversion. He appealed to Eve's self-determined "rights" and plasures through a lie that created a lust within Eve. The serpent focused Eve's attention upon the one prohibition until she forgot that everything else in the garden was hers. She may have wondered whether she was being unjustly kept from something good. The serpent planted in Eve's heart a seed of discontent with God and her circumstances.
Defeats us and causes us delays. "You will not surely die," he said. The devil caused her to lose her healthy fear of disobeying God and to doubt His word concerning punishment. Adam and Eve did die immediately in spirit, and in time, they also died physically.
Eve didn't just eat the apple; she made a serious of small choices that led to the fall. When presented with the choice to doubt God's Word, Eve should have refused to listen further out of loyalty to God. She should have shut the door in her mind and cried out to the Lord. She could have turned to Adam to help her resist the temptation.
I think another important point to the fall is that Adam and Eve weren't cursed, they were given consequences. Was Eve's consequence simply painful childbirth as many believe, or pain in child-rearing which includes her oldest murdering his brother? She lost her son to evil and that pain is greater than any labor a woman may endure.
"The Lord banished them from the garden, but He gave them hope. He provided a way back. When God created Adam and Eve in His own image, He did not intend for them to love and obey Him simply because they had no choice. The man and woman would mature spiritually as they learned from God to choose good instead of evil (Hebrews 5:14). They had the opportunity and responsibility to exercise their will, to choose deliberately either for God or against God, through their response to God's generosity to them and then His clear direction" (BSF, 2013, Lesson 5). As with all of God's tests, the test of the two trees held the potential for blessing.
Imagine having eaten the apple, not only did they hear the voice of their Father calling them but immediately upon eating the apple, they had full knowledge of their sin. I imagine the truth overcoming them like a storm. They could hear it from the distance, smell it even. Colors began to change and they were soon enveloped by the truth, crouching in fear of what they had done and what they know to be true. They realized that their knowledge of good now was that they could not attain it.
Adam and God
I touched on this in a previous post, that the Lord never stopped working. God took personal joy in His universe, yet He did not cease from all activity. Jesus said that His Father and He were always working (John 5:17).
God created Adam, but not by a word of command as the rest of creation. The Lord Himself formed Adam from the dust of the earth, then breathed into Adam the very breath of His own life. In a unique way, God gave something of himself in the direct person-to-person creation. From the very beginning, God's man was very close to Him.
Not only did He delight in creating man by His own hands, but Eden means "park" and conveys the idea of bliss. The Lord designed for us a luxurious garden. As I also mentioned before, I wonder about the relationship Adam had with the Lord. Did he train Adam to cultivate the gardens? There were no thorns or reluctant soil to frustrate him. He worked without tension or strain. Did he delight in this work? Did it stimulate him and challenge him?
Adam may have understood or been shown more than we know now about the movement of the galaxies and the ecosystems of rivers and forests. Can you imagine his spiritual life, how deep it was, if he remained in direct and constant communication with the Lord?
The Lord surely would have taught Adam how to exercise caution in caring for His good earth. If I were to hand over my practice to a successor, certainly I would offer them some level of guidance, an internship possibly, so they could care for it and maintain the fruit I have worked so greatly to obtain.
As Adam was naming animals, did the Lord teach him about their peculiar characteristics? Did he teach him language, investigation and how to best articulate himself? When did Adam discover that no animal could respond to his own deepening need for human companionship?
I realized during this study, that the first sacrifice was when God created a garment of skin from an animal to cover Adam and Eve's naked bodies, after their sin.
God created Adam, but not by a word of command as the rest of creation. The Lord Himself formed Adam from the dust of the earth, then breathed into Adam the very breath of His own life. In a unique way, God gave something of himself in the direct person-to-person creation. From the very beginning, God's man was very close to Him.
Not only did He delight in creating man by His own hands, but Eden means "park" and conveys the idea of bliss. The Lord designed for us a luxurious garden. As I also mentioned before, I wonder about the relationship Adam had with the Lord. Did he train Adam to cultivate the gardens? There were no thorns or reluctant soil to frustrate him. He worked without tension or strain. Did he delight in this work? Did it stimulate him and challenge him?
Adam may have understood or been shown more than we know now about the movement of the galaxies and the ecosystems of rivers and forests. Can you imagine his spiritual life, how deep it was, if he remained in direct and constant communication with the Lord?
The Lord surely would have taught Adam how to exercise caution in caring for His good earth. If I were to hand over my practice to a successor, certainly I would offer them some level of guidance, an internship possibly, so they could care for it and maintain the fruit I have worked so greatly to obtain.
As Adam was naming animals, did the Lord teach him about their peculiar characteristics? Did he teach him language, investigation and how to best articulate himself? When did Adam discover that no animal could respond to his own deepening need for human companionship?
I realized during this study, that the first sacrifice was when God created a garment of skin from an animal to cover Adam and Eve's naked bodies, after their sin.
Chapter Two Genesis
As I've mentioned, studying chapter one of Genesis has for me been a moment of really seeing God's majesty. Chapter two however, is where He builds a personal relationship. Maybe shamefully, sometimes I think the tragedies in my life are because the Lord is earnestly seeking my attention. He wants me really close to Him.
I love reading about the relationship between Adam, ruler over God's creation, and His Father. Did they walk together? Did the Lord teach him about the animals? Did he teach him about the earth, its healing qualities? Adam named the animals before Eve was even created. How long did this take? How long did Adam and Eve walk in fellowship together before Eve was created? I am no longer under the illusion that these seven days were in fact twenty-four hours each, so now I wonder about Adam and God's intimate relationship. What knowledge did Adam have that was not passed down to his children. What incredible closeness Adam must have had with his creator, and the understanding he had of nature may have been far greater than what we believe to understand today!
May the Lord's beauty and love rest upon me.
The seventh day is somewhat a misconception as well, among Christians. The Lord rested, but this is not to be confused with slumber. The Lord was satisfied, and delighted with His work. It wasn't about rehabilitation, but rejuvenation. He saw all that He had done, and it was good. And He rested.
I love reading about the relationship between Adam, ruler over God's creation, and His Father. Did they walk together? Did the Lord teach him about the animals? Did he teach him about the earth, its healing qualities? Adam named the animals before Eve was even created. How long did this take? How long did Adam and Eve walk in fellowship together before Eve was created? I am no longer under the illusion that these seven days were in fact twenty-four hours each, so now I wonder about Adam and God's intimate relationship. What knowledge did Adam have that was not passed down to his children. What incredible closeness Adam must have had with his creator, and the understanding he had of nature may have been far greater than what we believe to understand today!
May the Lord's beauty and love rest upon me.
The seventh day is somewhat a misconception as well, among Christians. The Lord rested, but this is not to be confused with slumber. The Lord was satisfied, and delighted with His work. It wasn't about rehabilitation, but rejuvenation. He saw all that He had done, and it was good. And He rested.
Garment of Light
Psalm 104:2 speaks of light being the garment of God. I simply can't imagine... but do I try. The visible shining light by which God sometimes manifested His presence is the outshining of His glorious moral being. And will this too, be our glorified bodies in eternal life? In God, there is no darkness at all.
Another gem the Lord reminded me of while studying Genesis is His love of boundaries, of order. He set boundaries to the waters and lowered and raised the earth so that dry land appeared and water was separated. My life has come to enjoy the pleasures of peace and contentment, even great love, because I have finally recognized the importance of creating appropriate boundaries for oneself.
The Lord separated animals and plants into their various kinds. They were each made with their own unique DNA. Sharp boundaries separate class and family. "There are many varieties of both roses and orchids; yet no rose blooms on an orchid plant nor does an orchid ever bloom on a rose bush!" (BSF, 1984). When He temporarily removed His boundaries, the earth suffered the great flood of Noah's day.
I have suffered many heartaches because I was unwilling or incapable of creating my own boundaries. This is a lesson I am only now learning, and one I have failed to teach my older children. The Lord is aware, and will help me to remedy this handicap.
On the fourth day, the Lord began to regulate time by the solar system, laying the foundation for an ordered life. These great lights are used to build faith in His promises and cause us to worship Him. We were created for a loving relationship of fellowship with Him.
Another gem the Lord reminded me of while studying Genesis is His love of boundaries, of order. He set boundaries to the waters and lowered and raised the earth so that dry land appeared and water was separated. My life has come to enjoy the pleasures of peace and contentment, even great love, because I have finally recognized the importance of creating appropriate boundaries for oneself.
The Lord separated animals and plants into their various kinds. They were each made with their own unique DNA. Sharp boundaries separate class and family. "There are many varieties of both roses and orchids; yet no rose blooms on an orchid plant nor does an orchid ever bloom on a rose bush!" (BSF, 1984). When He temporarily removed His boundaries, the earth suffered the great flood of Noah's day.
I have suffered many heartaches because I was unwilling or incapable of creating my own boundaries. This is a lesson I am only now learning, and one I have failed to teach my older children. The Lord is aware, and will help me to remedy this handicap.
On the fourth day, the Lord began to regulate time by the solar system, laying the foundation for an ordered life. These great lights are used to build faith in His promises and cause us to worship Him. We were created for a loving relationship of fellowship with Him.
All for Us
One misconception about Christianity is that every person must hear the message or they may perish in hell, so being born in a third world country without a missionary might subject one to eternal damnation. Scripture tells us that all humans know in whatever way the Lord speaks to them individually. For very savage people, this may simply be through their witness of our created earth and their judgment will be according to that measure of understanding.
As well, we are taught that the Lord gives us our faith, so then what good does it do for us to witness if God will provide, or not provide, one's measure of faith? Salvation isn't as simple as our discipleship. We certainly haven't the ability to convince someone to follow the Lord if they haven't been blessed with sufficient faith. Just doesn't seem fair, huh?
And what exactly is the purpose of all this? Why did the Lord create the earth in the first place? One might argue that He is the creator, and therefore everything is about Him. I don't disagree, but I ask, "Does He need anything from us? Does He require our worship? Does He depend on our service for His glory?" I think not.
Rather, I argue that It's All for Us. Our witnessing is so that through teaching, we gain better understanding in our Father. And through our confession, our faith deepens. Through persecution, we seek Him. These arguments are one in the same, yes, I understand, but from another perspective... I am encouraged. Others won't suffer because of my failure to successfully witness, but my attempts to do so will deepen my relationship with God.
He did all this for us... as if He needs anything from us.
Before I get harsh commentary, Yes, I believe we were created to worship Him. Yes, I believe we were created to serve our Father. Yes, I believe we were created to glorify the Lord. No, I don't believe that is the end of the story. Our life here is not indefinite so our service and His glory are not limited to our life here on earth, but for the journey in preparation for our eternal lives. The relationship starts here. It was for us.
As well, we are taught that the Lord gives us our faith, so then what good does it do for us to witness if God will provide, or not provide, one's measure of faith? Salvation isn't as simple as our discipleship. We certainly haven't the ability to convince someone to follow the Lord if they haven't been blessed with sufficient faith. Just doesn't seem fair, huh?
And what exactly is the purpose of all this? Why did the Lord create the earth in the first place? One might argue that He is the creator, and therefore everything is about Him. I don't disagree, but I ask, "Does He need anything from us? Does He require our worship? Does He depend on our service for His glory?" I think not.
Rather, I argue that It's All for Us. Our witnessing is so that through teaching, we gain better understanding in our Father. And through our confession, our faith deepens. Through persecution, we seek Him. These arguments are one in the same, yes, I understand, but from another perspective... I am encouraged. Others won't suffer because of my failure to successfully witness, but my attempts to do so will deepen my relationship with God.
He did all this for us... as if He needs anything from us.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8:3-4
human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8:3-4
Before I get harsh commentary, Yes, I believe we were created to worship Him. Yes, I believe we were created to serve our Father. Yes, I believe we were created to glorify the Lord. No, I don't believe that is the end of the story. Our life here is not indefinite so our service and His glory are not limited to our life here on earth, but for the journey in preparation for our eternal lives. The relationship starts here. It was for us.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Genesis
Noah, Samuel and I have joined Bible Study Fellowship again this year - the study of Genesis. This is the first year I've taken the older kids, although Noah attended when he was a preschooler. I was excited to return to such an in-depth study and love the Old Testament, but I suppose I felt like Genesis was really familiar to me and maybe I wouldn't have as much to learn as in previous years. The beautiful thing about our Lord, is that He always has more in store for you than you can imagine.
I've learned a lot from the various studies I have attended - history, culture, details, laws, God's love, His attention to detail, accountability, Christ's sacrifice, the commandments and why... but I think what I am learning from Genesis is that God wants us to comprehend to the best of our ability just how awesome He is and I mean awesome in the true meaning of the sense, worthy of awe.
I've always adored Albert Einstein and I adore science. I adore that Albert's great insight was that matter and energy are closely interwoven, that matter can be made from energy. What we see is made from what we do not see. God doesn't share how, but I find immense pleasure in the consistency of science demonstrating the Bible to be true. This is true in midwifery as well. Science continues to prove that the created plan for birthing babies is the safest method, with minimal interventions, is far superior than trusting in man's technology for sake of convenience or in fear.
I love as I read through Genesis that for the first time, I can see beyond the majestic creation and sense the Lord's excitement in his work. He delighted in His creation. He was thrilled at how much it would please his children. It causes me to consider my own stewardship. As I created my practice, poured my heart into it and saw that it was good, would I have even considered handing it over to someone who I knew would destroy it in front of my eyes? Do I give proper consideration to our natural world and do I rejoice in it's grandeur? Have I taught my children how to love and care for our world?
I suppose the Lord was satisfied, in spite of the suffering He may endure as we destroy His earth. The Lord Jesus Christ was satisfied in spite of His own suffering as we misunderstood and hung our savior on a cross. These past few years, and I feel so small in making such a comparison, I have been blessed with contentment. I have been ridiculed, isolated, ostracized, and mocked for my calling, and in spite of that, the Lord has provided great peace and contentment.
Heaven is the component of His creation that is left untold within Genesis, and to a large degree throughout the Word. The Lord separated the heavens from the earth in Genesis 1:1 and then all that comes after details His work on earth. I am still chewing on why this might be and what it means for us, but I am also perfectly distracted by the knowledge that He put the Holy Spirit within us to move us (Ezekiel 36:26-27) and like a love letter from Christ, the Holy Spirit is like ink on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). We are to find focus here on earth and not become so heavenly bound we aren't any earthly good.
Did you realize that since the 20th century, scientists have rejected the idea that the universe has always existed? It's funny that I've always considered the debates of how the earth began, whether from an overwhelmingly huge explosion or God's spoken word, but I've never considered that they all agree - there was a beginning. Can you imagine though, never questioning the beginning of time, assuming that our reality has always existed and then one day "man" recognizes differently and all that you believed to be true is put into question. Every generation believes their way of life is complete truth, the best of the best, there is no other way, which is the twilight zone I live in as a midwife. People are fooled by their narrow-mindedness.
There are no dates in Genesis. Many have concluded that the earth was created in seven twenty-four hour days, but whose to say the first "day" wasn't a million years? The days were simply divided by the sun and these were God's work days, which should be measured in a divine way. Biblical genealogies too, use the term "son" for "descendants" so again, there may be generations between each record we are provided.
New for me this year too, is the vision of the Lord hovering upon the dark when His creation was still formless chaos. He was broody and cherishing His plan, His creation, and then said, "Let there be light." And there was. I take comfort in knowing the Holy Spirit is hovering over me.
I've learned a lot from the various studies I have attended - history, culture, details, laws, God's love, His attention to detail, accountability, Christ's sacrifice, the commandments and why... but I think what I am learning from Genesis is that God wants us to comprehend to the best of our ability just how awesome He is and I mean awesome in the true meaning of the sense, worthy of awe.
I've always adored Albert Einstein and I adore science. I adore that Albert's great insight was that matter and energy are closely interwoven, that matter can be made from energy. What we see is made from what we do not see. God doesn't share how, but I find immense pleasure in the consistency of science demonstrating the Bible to be true. This is true in midwifery as well. Science continues to prove that the created plan for birthing babies is the safest method, with minimal interventions, is far superior than trusting in man's technology for sake of convenience or in fear.
I love as I read through Genesis that for the first time, I can see beyond the majestic creation and sense the Lord's excitement in his work. He delighted in His creation. He was thrilled at how much it would please his children. It causes me to consider my own stewardship. As I created my practice, poured my heart into it and saw that it was good, would I have even considered handing it over to someone who I knew would destroy it in front of my eyes? Do I give proper consideration to our natural world and do I rejoice in it's grandeur? Have I taught my children how to love and care for our world?
I suppose the Lord was satisfied, in spite of the suffering He may endure as we destroy His earth. The Lord Jesus Christ was satisfied in spite of His own suffering as we misunderstood and hung our savior on a cross. These past few years, and I feel so small in making such a comparison, I have been blessed with contentment. I have been ridiculed, isolated, ostracized, and mocked for my calling, and in spite of that, the Lord has provided great peace and contentment.
Heaven is the component of His creation that is left untold within Genesis, and to a large degree throughout the Word. The Lord separated the heavens from the earth in Genesis 1:1 and then all that comes after details His work on earth. I am still chewing on why this might be and what it means for us, but I am also perfectly distracted by the knowledge that He put the Holy Spirit within us to move us (Ezekiel 36:26-27) and like a love letter from Christ, the Holy Spirit is like ink on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). We are to find focus here on earth and not become so heavenly bound we aren't any earthly good.
Did you realize that since the 20th century, scientists have rejected the idea that the universe has always existed? It's funny that I've always considered the debates of how the earth began, whether from an overwhelmingly huge explosion or God's spoken word, but I've never considered that they all agree - there was a beginning. Can you imagine though, never questioning the beginning of time, assuming that our reality has always existed and then one day "man" recognizes differently and all that you believed to be true is put into question. Every generation believes their way of life is complete truth, the best of the best, there is no other way, which is the twilight zone I live in as a midwife. People are fooled by their narrow-mindedness.
There are no dates in Genesis. Many have concluded that the earth was created in seven twenty-four hour days, but whose to say the first "day" wasn't a million years? The days were simply divided by the sun and these were God's work days, which should be measured in a divine way. Biblical genealogies too, use the term "son" for "descendants" so again, there may be generations between each record we are provided.
New for me this year too, is the vision of the Lord hovering upon the dark when His creation was still formless chaos. He was broody and cherishing His plan, His creation, and then said, "Let there be light." And there was. I take comfort in knowing the Holy Spirit is hovering over me.
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