Devotionals for the Heart: Did you know you are made in God's image?

God’s Splendor Revealed
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

Recently my son and his wife went camping in Washington state, visiting many of the national parks, hiking numerous trails, and taking spectacular photos. One place they visited was a series of tidal pools. In order to see the sea creatures left behind as the tide ran out, they rose super early in the morning to explore.

All kinds of extraordinary animals were left to delight those who ventured into the early morning chill to photograph the wonders of God’s world. Back at home, the grandkids and I waited eagerly each day to see what marvels Mom and Dad would send. When they visited the tidal pools and sent us the pictures they had taken, we all stared in awe at the incredible images of a minute segment of this beautiful world.

One creature made an indelible impression on me—a starfish. He was a rather plump little fellow, almost as bright red as a strawberry, and it looked as though he was studded with pearls of different sizes in a gorgeous, intricate design. In one of the videos he looked to be dancing in the water, but after the water stilled and he became aware of his audience, he curled up into a defensive position. That’s when the most astonishing picture was taken. With his five arms tucked around and under him, his body shaped itself into a heart with the “beads” making an even more beautiful design than we had seen before.

It reminds me that as God created all the sea creatures in Genesis, His creative force was gearing up for the last day of creation when He made man and woman in His own image. As lovely as that starfish is, God’s pinnacle of creation was centered on Adam and Eve, and in turn, on all of us who follow them as members of humanity.

We all carry the imprint of our heavenly Father, the Creator God who took the trouble to fashion a tiny starfish in a remote tidal pool in upstate Washington and seen by only a handful of people before dawn one morning in the middle of August.

God fashioned the first man, Adam, and out of Adam’s rib He created the woman, Eve. The same intention and deliberation that God used to create a rarely seen sea creature also went into the designing of these two, the father and mother of us all. I don’t know what color Adam’s skin was, nor do I know what color Eve’s was. God deliberately didn’t tell us what color they were, but I know they had to be beautiful because our Father declared they were “very good.”

The glorious truth we face now is the fact that the Father’s same incredible, intentional, creative artistry went into designing us, too. Each human is made in God’s image, and He shapes every one of us to reflect Him. Granted, we sin. Granted, we fall way short of His desire for us. But Jesus’ redemptive death on the cross guarantees that His children, those who accept His gift of salvation, are covered with the magnificent skin of Jesus’ righteousness.

In my imagination, Jesus’ righteousness is a deep, sacrificial red, dotted with lustrous pearls symbolizing His perfect sinlessness. With His righteousness wrapped around us, we dance in the waters of our lives, and when times are hard, we curl up under His protective arms.

Either way, the joy of His salvation gives us life and peace and perfect love. Because of Jesus, we are beautiful in God’s sight, and we delight Him with our obedience to His Word, and with our love for others.

Let’s Pray: Father God, show us how to be faithful to You, full of love for our brothers and sisters, and hopeful as we wait for Your perfect will to be made perfect in us. And while we wait for You, please show us how to dance as we joyfully live out the salvation You have given us. Let us find peace and safety in the palm of Your hand, and throughout all our days, please let Your glory shine on each of the beautifully splendid children You created. In Jesus’s Name we pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

During this time of quarantine, Karen enjoys reading, writing, and connecting with friends and family via phone calls, texts, emails, blogs, live-streams, and video conferencing.  

She is grateful that the Lord has provided so many ways for humankind to stay in community, even when we are all hunkering down in our homes.

Karen says, “In this unprecedented time, we know that He has prepared us for such a time as this! To God be all the glory!”

You can reach Karen by emailing her at this address: klmarstaller@gmail.com

Thankful Thursday: Earth is NOT Our Home

It's Thursday and I'm thankful that Earth is NOT our home.

"Why?" You may ask. Allow me to explain.

I don't think you have to look far these days to see signs of trouble. It's clear that with the state of the world and human affairs today, life is getting more complicated and more unpredictable. Mother Nature is having mood swings (hot weather in months that are supposed to be cold, cold weather in months that are supposed to be hot) and people are getting more comfortable with disrespecting each other. It's sad.

Lately, I've realized that I've been so busy trying to establish myself as a career professional and secure a place for me in this world that I've forgotten one Bible based truth: Earth is NOT our home.

So where is our home? If you're a believer in God and a follower of Jesus Christ then you know that Heaven is our true home. As Christians, we are just passing through which is why God advises us in His Word (The Holy Bible) to not get too comfortable here on this planet Earth.

According to The Message Bible, God advises us, "Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives" (1 Peter 2:11-12, MSG).

I love the Bible book of Hebrews, especially Chapter 11 of Hebrews. I call it “The Faith Chapter” because it shows us how our spiritual forefathers like Abraham followed God without question. They had full faith in where He was leading. Abraham literally packed his bags and took his family on a journey to a destination unknown just because God said, “Go.”

I want to have the faith of father Abraham to the point where my life is summed up simply as, “God sent, she went!” I want to follow Him to the ends of the Earth. I want to serve Him with all of my heart and be a willing and true vessel for His purpose. I want to be one of His servants who He uses as an instrument of His peace. I want to, as St. Francis of Assisi said, be used as an instrument of God’s peace. Honestly, in our modern times on this Earth, I think it is a prayer that every Christ-follower should pray to God.

Let’s read St. Francis’ prayer. He said: “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”

A lot of times when life on Earth makes me overwhelmed, discouraged or too depressed to pray, I ask God-fearing friends to pray for me. One of those friends is an older lady who wakes up early in the morning every day to pray for everyone on her prayer list. Recently, I reached out to her in my distress and her answer to me was simple. She told me, “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ.” And honestly, it upset me because it felt like she was bypassing my pain with Bible-based advice and for the rest of the day, I silently stewed, thinking that she doesn’t know what I’m dealing with or she wouldn’t say that to me. I’m hurt! I’m in pain! I’m overwhelmed! I’m oppressed and depressed and THIS is what she tells me? BUT God started working on my heart and I realized that though her advice seemed simple, it was the perfect answer because only God can give me perfect peace.

It’s like this song by Laura Story:

So my dear friends, as this world gets crazier and the weather becomes more unpredictable and you’re feeling too overwhelmed to function, keep your eyes on Jesus Christ because only He can give you perfect peace.

Please remember that if you believe in the Creator of the Universe (God), Earth is NOT our home. We are, like our spiritual forefathers mentioned in The Faith Chapter, “waiting for the city with permanent foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10, ISV).

Heaven is our home. It’s a place free of sin and sorrow. No more death, depression, oppression, despair, injustice or inequities. The day is coming when God will make everything right. Until then, let us as my prayer warrior church friend says, “Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.”

God bless you!

Love,

Alexis