MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 15, 2016

Then God said, “And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small.”  So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, “Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food”—and it was done. God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased.      Genesis 1:28-31

Thoughts:
Mark Chagall has blessed churches and synagogues alike with his stained glass works.  In this frame we meet the adam (which means man, in Hebrew) and the woman, Eve.  The sun is shining, the angels are present and all is, for the moment, well.  Here we see our original state, in God’s image and likeness, originally blessed.

But those apples are also in the picture, and they represent the temptations that face us, lure us and trap us.  Let us be clear, we each face temptations, and some days we flat out, purposefully, sin.

When we do, there are consequences.  The man and the woman faced consequences, including being put out of the garden.  But there is also forgiveness if we seek God with a repentant heart, and truly choose to change our ways.

Is there something that has found its way into your heart that has shifted you out of your original position as blessed?  There is a God who waits to hear your sincere repentance and longs to surround you with grace.  God is standing ready, the next step, ours.