I’ve begun reading through the Bible again this year and my reading has me starting in Genesis. I think a good place to start…at the beginning!
The creation story always amazes me. I can’t even wrap my mind around the entirety of it and to think that God created it all. The delicate snowflake, how snow is even made, the tides, the sunrise/set, the stars at night, the number of stars, not to mention how our bodies work…I could go on and on. But through all that enormous-ness I see glimpses of tenderness and God’s enormous love for us, His created beings. Now of course there are more than glimpses but these stood out to me this time around in my reading.
Genesis 3:21:
The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. NASB
God made leather clothing for Adam and his wife and dressed them. The Message
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. KJV
The Lord God made clothes from animal skins for the man and his wife and dressed them. NCV
These versions all give us an idea of the love the Father has for His children…how many times have you, as a parent, dressed your child to go outside? Helped him dress in the morning before school or wrap a towel around them after a bath? Those show our love for our child and our need and want to protect them. God, even after sin entered the world and we disobeyed, He still protected us, wrapped us up and dressed us.
Genesis 7:16b:
Then the LORD shut him in. NIV
Then the Lord closed the door behind them. NLT
and the LORD shut him in. NKJV
God closed the door. CEV
Husbands, have you ever closed the door of the car for your wife after she’s safely inside? How about closing the closet door for our kids when they are scared? Or making sure the front door is locked and secure so our family is safe? Our creator shut the door for Noah, keeping him safe and secure inside the ark. He does the same for us every day by closing doors to either keep us safely out of trouble or safely in His embrace. It’s when my selfish nature takes control and I open a door that God closed I find I’m not only NOT in His embrace but scrambling to find peace, contentment and desperate to be in His embrace once again. And then just as lovingly He beckons us to “come out” (Genesis 8:16) and find ourselves on the Solid Rock.