God’s Gracious Abundance
Prayer:
God, it is difficult to rest when there is so much I feel like I need to do. I want to experience your kind of rest. Please show me how to work and rest in a way that honors and helps me trust You more. Amen!
Scripture:
Genesis 1 : 1-13 (NLT)
[1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [2] The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
[3] Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [4] And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.
[6] Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” [7] And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. [8] God called the space “sky.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.
[9] Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. [10] God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. [11] Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. [12] The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
[13] And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.
Insight:
Genesis 1 describes the activity of God the Father (v. 1) and the Holy Spirit (v. 2) in the creation event. The New Testament makes it clear, however, that the second person of the Godhead—Jesus Christ—was also actively involved in creation. John 1:3 tells us, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” Colossians 1:16 adds, “In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible . . . ; all things have been created through him and for him.” And Jesus even now sustains the universe He created (v. 17) as a demonstration of His grace!
Devotional:
At the age of fifty-one, Ynes Mexia (1870-1938) decided to study botany, enrolling as a college freshman. Over her thirteen-year career, she traveled across Central and South America, discovering five hundred new species of plants. She’s not alone in her quest. Scientists discover nearly two thousand new plants each year.
In Genesis 1, God took a formless, empty, and dark earth (v. 2) and created a place full of abundance. On the third day, God separated the waters to create dry land and began making it hospitable for humans by having “the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit” (v. 11). These were seed-bearing plants and fruit trees from which we could eat. God didn’t create just one type of fruit tree but an abundance.
God isn’t only the Creator (v. 1); He’s also creative. He enjoys making different types of plants and animals and stars. If God cared only about giving us food, He could have made just one kind of seed-bearing plant. But God is extravagant and never does things in half measures.
God’s abundance isn’t limited to His creation. He’s also generous with His grace. As Paul said, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14). As with God’s creation, His grace is more than we need and offered with us in mind.
Reflect:
How is creation a demonstration of God’s good and abundant grace?
What stories of His grace can you share?
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