JANUARY 8
GOD'S REFLECTION
Genesis 1:26-27
26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. (WEB)
The next time you look in the mirror, think about this passage of Scripture. God made you in His own image! He created your eyes and your ears; he determined how tall you would be and where you would be born... He planned every detail! All in His own image! While we can't possibly fathom the full extent of what that means this side of heaven, it is important for us to love what God loves... and that means YOU!
God said it was good when he created the heavens and the earth. But when He created Adam and Eve, He said it was very good. It breaks the Father's heart when we struggle with self-hatred and despise what He has created. Jesus told us that the great commandment was to love God with all our hearts and love others as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:35-40)
Loving ourselves is not repeating some New Age mantra in the mirror. Loving ourselves is simply agreeing with God and declaring back to Him... I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:14) YOU are the only YOU that God ever created, meaning the unique image you reflect of God cannot be revealed by anybody else.
May the Spirit of God bear witness with our hearts today to tell us that we belong to God and are a reflection of His life and love to a world that desperately needs to see Him! May we also agree with God and love what He loves... and that is YOU!
Matthew 22:35-40
35 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (WEB)
26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. (WEB)
The next time you look in the mirror, think about this passage of Scripture. God made you in His own image! He created your eyes and your ears; he determined how tall you would be and where you would be born... He planned every detail! All in His own image! While we can't possibly fathom the full extent of what that means this side of heaven, it is important for us to love what God loves... and that means YOU!
God said it was good when he created the heavens and the earth. But when He created Adam and Eve, He said it was very good. It breaks the Father's heart when we struggle with self-hatred and despise what He has created. Jesus told us that the great commandment was to love God with all our hearts and love others as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:35-40)
Loving ourselves is not repeating some New Age mantra in the mirror. Loving ourselves is simply agreeing with God and declaring back to Him... I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:14) YOU are the only YOU that God ever created, meaning the unique image you reflect of God cannot be revealed by anybody else.
May the Spirit of God bear witness with our hearts today to tell us that we belong to God and are a reflection of His life and love to a world that desperately needs to see Him! May we also agree with God and love what He loves... and that is YOU!
Matthew 22:35-40
35 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (WEB)