Genesis 1:26 (NIV); Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness, and let them
rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all
the creatures that move along the ground.”
Each year the celebration of Easter causes us to hone in on the cross. Of course we experience the
effects of the cross every day, but the official celebratory holiday brings the actual event into focus.
It’s important to note, however, that the redemptive work of Christ did not begin there. God did not
suddenly decide, on a whim, that the world needed to be saved and that He was the One to do it. This
month we will take a look at God’s plan of redemption from creation to Calvary.
The universe was not made for itself. And our planet was not just made to exist. God created the
earth with a caretaker in mind. Right from the get-go, God sought to create something relational.
The universe He created was glorious, and Eden was magnificently beautiful, but it wasn’t the beall
and end-all. The fish and the sea and the birds and the air were a creative invention, but they
were not made in the image of the Creator. Only man received that mysteriously awesome breath
of life. What a moment! What a privilege to be one of those God-breathed creatures! God sought
something with this Adam – and seeks something with you – that is unique to all creation. There was
interaction in Eden. There was vision. There was honour. Adam and Eve were given the honour of
responsibility. They were given the vision to be creative with what the Father had created. And they
were instinctively interactive with their Maker. He spoke to them. He walked with them. He protected
them. And all this because He wanted relationship with them.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does it feel to know that you are one of these mysterious God-breathed creatures? Spend
some time worshipping God for making you. Ask Him to show you what He enjoyed creating in
you.
2. What is an area in your relationship with God that you would like to grow in? Spend some time in
prayer asking Him to help you to grow in this area.
3. Listen in prayer and ask God to respond to your request. What does He want to say about His
plans of growth for you?
