Devotional for Monday, July 2, 2012

Twilight: Everything God Created Is Good

by the Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven

Monthly Theme:

By God’s Word and Spirit the world was made, and he uses the same tools to rebuild the creaking cosmos. God does not save some souls from the wreckage of the planet; instead, the whole groaning creation must be delivered from bondage by the love and power of God.

Bible Reading:

Genesis 1:11–25

Bible Text:

And God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 21).

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Gen. 1:31).

Devotional:

God made a perfect world out of nothing: "The earth was formless and empty" (Gen. 1:2). Out of chaos God made the cosmos. God filled the vast emptiness of earth, sky, and waters with an endless variety of life.

Nobody can study all the marvels of God's creation in a lifetime, yet all of us may enjoy parts of it, use some fruits of it, and take care of some of it.

The world is good because God made it and God is good. But some days creation does not seem so good to us. Our planet has been invaded by evil powers and is now inhabited by sinful people.

Nevertheless, creation's original goodness is discernible and unforgettable. Humanity remembers a time of goodness and light that preceded the coming of darkness and dragons. We express our common remembrance in a thousand tales and nostalgic songs. In all generations the longing persists for that pristine morning when God said, "It is good. It is very good."

Humanity also shares the hope that someday all will be good again. But we must not expect a renewed world from the wrong remedy. Our only hope is that God the Creator will finish his work of redemption. On that day, when the cosmic cleanup operation is accomplished, all the world will echo the judgment of the Creator Redeemer: "This is good; this is very good."