Promise for Today - In His Image

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them...

Genesis 1:27-28a NKJV

God has a reason, a design and a plan for everything He creates. We may not know or understand a large part of it, but that doesn't matter. Mankind was created in His likeness.

The original plan was that our nature would be like His, but it didn't take us long to fall, did it? One thousand, one hundred, eighty-nine chapters in the Bible, and by chapter 3, we'd already fallen. The fallen nature of man just wants to be blessed. And in our fallen nature, we started the "What about me?" saga. It doesn't want to work for it, to have to earn it - it's that whole I-didn't-ask-to-be-born-You-owe-me selfish, self-focused and self-consumed attitude.

The good news is that those who choose to follow God, to walk in Christ's footsteps - to pick up their Cross and be redeemed from the curse of sin - they can once again be the image of God. The redeemed nature wants to give and to bless others. That's following God. He's not asking us to do anything He hasn't already done Himself. You see, He gave us our very breath of life and then He gave us the opportunity for Life abundantly through the death of His Son. He gave - after we had already fallen.

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." Titus 2:11-14

Prayer:

Father,
          We want to be more like You. Redeem us unto every good work, Father, according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Properly Projecting an Image

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV

We live in extraordinary times. Now more than ever, it's all about the visual appeal. Marketing campaigns, computer technology, and the world of medicine all excel and rely on their imaging capabilities. Such incredible strides just in medicine alone! Ultrasounds projecting images - detecting everything now from blood clots to cancer to kids!

Websites, social medias of all kinds rely heavily on photos and images. Just think Instagram! And now AI images. And selfies! Oh.My.Word! People and their selfies!! Photo booths and photo ops are at every event and venue! We are absolutely infatuated! Yes, Psalm 139:14 declares, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." But are we projecting the right image?

The Truth is we ARE fearfully and wonderfully made because we are made in the image of God, according to HIS likeness. But instead of the staged photos, how about we mirror His love? His compassion! His kindness! His mercy and grace! His faithfulness! Just to name a few... God created us with purpose for His purpose. He created us in His own image so we could accomplish all that He has planned for our lives. That's the Truth about imaging. Picture that!

Prayer:

Father,
           Rip the star-struck scales from our eyes so that we can see Your Truth and properly portray Your likeness to the lost and dying generations, without the photo ops and props of this world. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.