I'm going to go over some of the same verses again, because I feel this is important...
(GENESIS 2:19) Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.
TODAY’S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
I've never looked at this one verse all that closely until today, and I'm finding great delight in its message. Now, long ago, I had already come to understand that being created in God's image includes several things, one of the traits being that we are all artists. God created all things, and therefore we are able to "create".
Typically, we consider someone being artistic only in the classic sense, that a person has to excel at things like painting, dancing, writing, performing or music. But art can be found in everything. All work, jobs and careers can be considered a medium where people can get artistic! Whether one is an inventor, chef, hairstylist, clerk, administrative assistant, accountant, realtor, software engineer, drafter, woodworker, machinist, mechanic, farmer, gardener... (I'm not going to name every possible career option, but just assume that I have!)
We are all artists, we just have to consider what our medium/s will be, as well as how we can use our talents and gift/s to God's glory... be it planning, organizing, visualizing, inventing, developing, implementing, building, producing, distributing, selling, communicating, leading, teaching...
So, back to the verse. We see Adam naming all the animals. But more than that, we see what a loving parent should be like. Yeah, parenting is another art form! Believe me when I say that! And as parents, we can learn a lot just from this one verse:
- God gave Adam responsibilities (work, chores, whatever you want to call this)
- it was a task that Adam could manage according to his age, experience and abilities
- God was there to oversee the task, yet didn't overstep
- God was there in case Adam required help, guidance, inspiration or encouragement
- God gave Adam complete artistic license
WHATVER Adam called an animal, that was its name! This statement might seem trivial, but it also ventures into the arena of what it means for us. Everyone of us, as we near adulthood, has to ask the question, "What am I going to be when I grow up?" And as a believer, our question will include, "What is God's will for my life?
First of all, God has given us artistic license. Always pray and ask God for wisdom and direction. Then, as long as we are doing God's will in these things, we are in God's will. If there is something we should not be doing, as we pray about it, God will set up roadblocks to protect us. And if God has something very specific that He is calling you to, as we pray about it, God will give us very clear opportunities.
Sometimes, God even gives us options, without any "right" or "wrong" choices; just like Adam could have chosen to call a "rabbit" a "hopshy" instead. Although, I assume the original language spoken in the beginning would have been Hebrew, or, it might have been something that's no longer spoken! But you get my point.
There is God's will - His commandments are very clearly laid out for us in the Bible. And then there are options from which we can choose. Let's imagine a big box which symbolizes God's will. As long as we stay within that box, we're good. And we can go anywhere in that box, and still be in God's will. Not to say that everything will be easy or always fun. No matter which decision we make and no matter what struggles we are going through, as we strive to be obedient to God's will, we will experience His joy, contentment and satisfaction. And let us remember that He is our loving heavenly Father, always there for us, to ask Him for help, guidance, inspiration and encouragement.
No comments:
Post a Comment