Daily Scripture: Genesis 1:31 – 2:2, 2:8-15
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com
Reflection Questions:
The pagan nations around Israel described their gods as living lives of leisure and fooling around. By contrast, the creation stories in Genesis show God as a master artisan, working to make a “very good” world. God also gave humans work (caring for the Garden). God meant that work to be wholesome and fulfilling.
- The Hebrew of Genesis 2:15 uses a verb that means “to guard or protect.” Part of the work God gave humans is to guard and protect the earth. How well or poorly do you believe we have done in living up to this divine commission? What is one change you personally could make to better care for the earth?
- We sometimes think we are “stuck” with work because it’s a harsh, hostile world. But Genesis shows God at work creating and sustaining the conditions in which human work will be fruitful (2:8-9). How do you see your work, paid or unpaid? Are you “on your own,” or is God working before and with you?
Read Pastor Andrew Conard’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com
Weekly Prayer:
Lord God, the Scripture story tells me that you created this beautiful world I live in with the resources to sustain life. It says that you mean my work, whether at home, at church or in my workplace, to be a vocation, a source of meaning and challenge. Give me your wisdom to make good choices, Lord, and to balance my work and my rest in you. Amen.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.
