Wonderfully Created

Psalms 8

I started reading one of the plans on Youversion where you read the bible in a year. And of course, where do we start off? Nowhere else but the creation story! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great story, but I have already read it a couple of times and haven't seen exactly what God tries to tell me through that story. In my mind, I figure that when I am going to sit down and read the bible, I want there to be revelations and huge break-throughs. I want it to be like God screams at me the right answer (because let’s be honest I have selective hearing- especially when God calls me to do something uncomfortable.) 

How many times have you read the creation story? For people who have grown up in the church, you have probably heard the story at least 10 times throughout vacation bible school or Sunday school. For others, maybe you haven’t ever heard it. But you at least know the general gist of it, right? In the beginning… .blah blah blah.  (This is certainly not meant to be insulting- but I believe that is how we hear the story sometimes. Let’s be honest, how many of us choose to memorize Genesis 1-2 and quote it?)

I have always thought- I get it God. I understand that you made the heavens and the earth, the seas, the animals, and all of the great things I enjoy. Sometimes, especially focusing on studies or working inside all day, we don’t even get to see or experience God’s great beauty of life because after all, we are inside all day focusing on whatever little tasks can distract us.

But maybe there is something more to the creation story. The creation story easily shows us how BIG God is.  It must take a pretty big God to create the earth and accessorize it in 7 days! That is usually the general take away. As Christians, we easily acknowledge that our God is so BIG that he created the earth. It’s like the essentials to Christianity 101.

For me personally, I do not realize the beauty of the creation story until I am standing in some exotic location, or on a vacation, or driving a couple of miles outside cities and towns. Then I realize, God made this beautiful place! I am so thankful that he created it. My thought process usually stops there.

Today, as I was reading the creation story again I saw something so special jump out to me. God created the earth. Yes he did. But he also created me. I think we all probably knew this, but Genesis 1:27 says

27 So God created man in His own image;

He created him in the image of God;

He created them male and female.

Did you catch that little gem there? God created man in his own image. The big, great God created us to have little glimpses of Him. Our ultimate goal in life is to mirror the image of God through our lives.

And then I read Psalm 8 and it all came together. The Psalmist ( I believe it is David) is talking about how great God is.  And I agree.

3 When I observe Your heavens, 
the work of Your fingers, 
the moon and the stars, 
which You set in place, 
4 what is man that You remember him, 
the son of man that You look after him? 
5 You made him little less than God 
and crowned him with glory and honor. 
6 You made him lord over the works of Your hands; 
You put everything under his feet: 
7 all the sheep and oxen, 
as well as the animals in the wild, 8 the birds of the sky, 
and the fish of the sea 
that pass through the currents of the seas.

But then David asks a great question in Verse 4. What is man compared to the greatness of creation? Or maybe in laymen’s terms- How do I fit into the creation story? And then in Verses 5 and 6, he answers his own question. He made us a little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. He charged us with the mission of being His hands and feet. Our great God, the one who created everything, the one with all the power in the world, the one who holds the whole earth in his hands created US in the image of him!

I think I had the same revelation as David. Our God is a BIG God. But he created us with a purpose. He put in some special dust (because after all, he created man out of dust) and said he/she will be my child. They will not roam around the earth like animals. They will be able to have compassion, and be able to love. They will be able to have deep relationships and be smart and creative! He even threw in something extra and said I will give each person something special (spiritual gifts) and give them great talents!  And above all else, I will do something even more. I will give them free will to choose me and love me on their own accord.  

So are we making the most of what God gave us? Are we being loyal to our creator and divine master? At the end of the day, the things of this earth will fade away. In fact, even we will fade away! But our souls live on forever, with our heavenly father eternally in heaven.  The hidden gem in the creation story should be how we fit into it.  We were made with a purpose. Let’s live up to the hype!