Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

(Special thanks to my cousin, for reminding me of my grandmother’s yearly commitment to reading through the Bible and the words falling afresh on her mind in each year of reading.)

Genesis 1-3

1. Repeatedly God looks at what is created and observes that it was good, and his final conclusion, very good. (Genesis 1)
   • If it was very good, does that mean the possibility of being bad?
   • Only one thing was not good. “for man to be alone”(Genesis 2)
   • Is it possible that God himself was the light of the world before day 4?
2. We are to be stewards of every plant and living creature that he has given to us.
   • How am I cultivating a sense of wonder and respect for nature?
3. I hadn’t noticed before that God “planted” the garden in Eden. He didn’t speak it into existence. (Genesis 2)
4. No rain. God watered the earth through mist.
5. God established the boundaries of all things.
6. The first thing that we noticed when our eyes were opened was that we were naked. We went from no shame to feeling shame for our bodies that God created. (Genesis 3)
7. Isn’t it interesting that in their eyes being opened to good and evil, that Eve acknowledges that the serpent had deceived her.

Matthew 1

1. God walked on earth, intimately interacted with his creation from the beginning. He did again through his son Jesus, and he is with us now through the Holy Spirit. The very same Holy Spirit that conceived a child in Mary and rested upon the disciples!
   • Do I live in this power?
2. God used some pretty rough characters to bring Jesus into the world. Can I see God’s hand in the heritage and lineage of my family?

My Utmost for his Highest