First

Have you ever considered the depth of information in the first verse of the Bible?  Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis - an origin, creation or beginning - is first.  The first verse of the first chapter of the first book is all about the beginning as we know it.  Those ten words contain the fact that God exists.  They contain the fact that He witnessed the beginning.  He was there before the beginning.  He made the beginning.

Those ten words contain the fact that God is smart.  He created the heaven.  Have you looked up there lately? Have you seen the marvelous sights?  Have you heard on the news about the amazing discoveries of planets and stars and galaxies and more?  He created the heaven and it reflects His glory.  It is amazing how all that works together and stays in place and moves and lives.

Those ten words contain the fact that God is logical.  He created the earth.  Have you gazed in wonder at an infant lately?  It is astonishing that all those systems work together just they way they do.  Have you examined the ecosystem of a pond lately?  Have you observed the incredible diversity and harmony that works there?

Those ten words contain the fact that God is love.  In the beginning, He created the heaven and the earth.  It's like He was making them for something special.  It appears that He was going to do something awesome.  And, He did.  He placed humans in the midst of the heaven and the earth.

Wow!

Following a Suffering Servant

(This entry follows on my previous blog entry about God and suffering.) I talked about how those that we are intimately involved with are the ones that can cause the greatest amount of suffering and loss. The parent-child relationship, the spousal relationship, the child-parent relationship - these all can be devastating but these same relationships are the ones that bring us the greatest joy!

The intimacy of a spousal relationship (husband/man and wife/woman only within the bonds of marriage) is incredibly fulfilling physically and emotionally. The intimacy of bearing a child is also a fulfilling endeavor that can lead to joy as your child takes his first steps, graduates from high school, marries her sweetheart, or confidently takes a new job. The intimacy of caring for an aging parent can provide insights into knowing the parent beyond just that and into knowing the parent as a person.

So what relationship does Jesus have with us? Creator to creation. The One who created us in intimately involved in His creation. That's how He came to be a Suffering Servant. And, that's why it is in God's character to suffer. He put so much care and joy and love into creating us that when we disobey and dishonor Him he suffers. It is because He cares so much. Think about it. If you don't care about the school bully, do you suffer because of him? No. Suffering only comes when care is present. It happens when you want the best for those around you and they don't seem to want it for themselves.

Yes, God wants what is best for us and we are disobedient slugs. We think we know better that the One that has infinite wisdom and knowledge. We cause our Creator AND ourselves to suffer. Then, when we get back on the right track, we bring our Creator AND ourselves great joy. Yes, this is where I want to be - on the joy side.

(Father God, please forgive me for causing you to suffer. Thank you for the immense joy when I am obedient. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.)