Wed.’s Devo - Our New Beginning

Read: Genesis 1:1-2:25; Matthew 1:1-2:12; Psalm 1:1-6; Proverbs 1:1-6 We could spend hours on these passages, they are so deep. “In the beginning” reads in the Hebrew: “in the dateless past”. It is hard for us to wrap our minds around eternity past and future. The earth has been around for a very long time. It was formless, empty and dark and had very deep waters until God hovered over it and commanded light to be. He said that the light was good and separated it from the darkness meaning the darkness was not good. First Thessalonians 5:5 says that we are children of the light and the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. God was making a distinction between good and evil. This was the first day. *** On the second day, God put space or a firmament between the waters on the earth and waters in heaven. This firmament is called the skies. Waters represent “spirit’ so God separated the spirit of the world from the spirit of heaven. *** On the third day, God gathered the waters on the earth together to make seas and dry ground appeared. He called the ground to sprout with seed-bearing plants and fruit-bearing trees. The seed was meant to multiply and produce new plants just like the seed of the Word. We bear fruit when the seed of God’s Word is in us. *** On the fourth day, God called lights to appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. They were to be signs and seasons, and for days and years. God would speak through the sky and it would be our time markers and determine our seasons. The greater one governed the day and the lesser one governed the night. Spiritually, the sun represents God and the moon the devil. The sun ruled the children of the day and the moon ruled over the children of the night. But God put stars to be the light during the night. They represent his children. We are called to be the light of the world. *** On the fifth day God spoke the fish and birds into existence. They were to represent the spirits that soar in the heavens and the demons that dwell beneath us. *** On the sixth day God spoke the animals to come out of the earth. Then he spoke to Jesus and said, “Let’s make man in Our image.” They will rule over the fish, the birds and the animals, wild and tame. So God made both man and woman with his own DNA, after his image. He blessed them and told them to be fruitful and multiply. He gave them the plants and the fruit for nourishment. *** On the seventh day, God declared the day as holy and rested. He had finished his work on the earth. *** God explained how made man out of the dust and breathed his breath in him to receive God’s life. God planted Adam in the garden of Eden just as he planted the seeds and trees in the earth. Adam would be God’s seed, his gift to the world. *** The garden had river that divided into four branches. I would say that they went north, south, east and west but I have no proof of that. Pishon ran in the land of Havilah which was abundant in gold. Gihon ran in the land of Cush and Tigris in the land of Tigres. The fourth branch was called the Euphrates. *** In the Garden of Eden, Adam was to tend and watch over it. Adam was told he could eat freely of all the trees except the one in the middle which was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If he ate of it he would die. *** God determined that it was not good for Adam to live alone so he would make him a helper. Adam needed to see for himself he needed a helper so God made it apparent. He brought all the animals before him and gave him the task of naming them. Adam realized they all had mates, but none of them was his match. So God put him in a deep sleep and did surgery on him. He took out his rib and closed him up. From the rib he made a woman and when Adam woke up and saw Eve he knew she was his match. They were totally transparent and naked before each other and had no shame. *** We have to come to that same conclusion. God gives us a natural mate - our spouses - but he also wants to give us his helper, the Holy Spirit. *** In Matthew, we have the ancestral records of Joseph who was to be the earthly father of Jesus. In his ancestry is the names of the kings because Jesus’ Father is the King of kings. Four women are mentioned which is rare in genealogies. They are Tamar who played the harlot; Rahab, who was a harlot; Bathsheba who was made a harlot, and Mary who was pure and a virgin. What a group! They all contributed to the birth of the Messiah. *** Mary became pregnant through the Holy Spirit when she was engaged to Joseph. As he was contemplating how to end the engagement, an angel came to him and explained to Joseph what happened to Mary and told him not to be afraid to marry her. She would give birth to a son and they would call him “Immanuel” because God was coming down to be with man. *** Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem. King Herod was ruling at the time. Wise men came from the east and went to Herod asking him where the newborn king of the Jews could be found. They had seen his star rise and had come to worship him. *** Herod had no answer for them so he met with the Jewish priests and asked them what the prophets had written about the king and where he would be born. When they told him Bethlehem, he called the wise men back in. Herod asked them when the star had appeared and told them to go to Bethlehem and search for him. When they found him they were to come back and tell him so he could worship him also. *** The wise men continued to follow the star and it did lead them to Bethlehem where they found Mary, Joseph and Jesus. They gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. When they left, they went a different way home because God had warned them not to go and tell Herod. *** Every year I ask the Lord for a word for the coming year and this year he gave the the word: “beyond”. I looked the word up in the dictionary and it said: on or on the other side of: later than. Out of reach or sphere of; past. Over and above; above, as in dignity, excellence or quality of any kind, as beyond expression. Over and above. That which lives outside of immediate experience; interests, etc. *** Wow! That is exactly what I believe God is going to do for all who will dare to put their faith in the God of the impossible. He will go beyond all we can hope or think. This is the time to dream big, bigger, biggest! God wants to do through us what we cannot even imagine which is pretty much! God will fund what he wants done according to his riches in heaven and he has a storehouse of abundance and body parts and healings and miracles. I can’t wait for 2025 to begin! *** Lord, may you put in our hearts what you want us to start imagining and putting our faith for. May we build your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven with your resources, plans, and power. We love you!