Genesis 1:1-3:24 [February 4th]

In three days I have read the first eleven chapters of Genesis.

In those eleven chapters is contained the history of the beginning of the world.

I will take a few blog posts to write a short bit about each chapter.

Here is the first one!


Chapter 1
God created the world.
With His voice.
If that's not awe-inspiring, I don't know what is.
When I think about how perfect the world was at the very beginning, I can't help but feel wistful.
At the same time, I feel hopeful. God created us in His image, perfect in every way, perfect in ways we cannot even imagine. And that's what heaven will be like.
Truly, I cannot wait.


Chapter 2
God rested after creating the universe, giving His children a reason to also rest at least one day a week.
I feel like this isn't taken seriously anymore, now that even more of the world has turned away from the Lord. A day of rest is a gift. Now, I realize that it isn't possible in every profession to always take Sunday off as a day of rest. My husband can't even do that. But the point is that humanity needs to slow down and reflect -- on God's Word. That is one of my prayers, albeit a not very hopeful one.
And then there is the detailed description of the creation of Man and Woman. The creation on the sixth day is mentioned briefly at the end of chapter 1, but because humans are the most important of God's creation (the world was made for us), the account gets another section. We are God's children, created in His image to live in the world He gave us. How beautiful!

Chapter 3
And so begins the saddest event in all Creation. Yes, Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us was also one of the saddest events in the history of the world, but think about it this way: He wouldn't have needed to die if not for the Fall into sin.
A sobering thought.
Yet, fall into sin we did. The first temptation, brought forth by Satan, was the temptation to doubt the Word of God. It wasn't the eating of the fruit; that was merely a result. Well, maybe not merely, but my point is that when you realize that the first sin was questioning God, that you realize it's no wonder the world is where it's at today. Original sin makes complete sense, though it is horrid.
And yet, God does not immediately give up and start over. (Yet -- there is the Flood!)
Yes, God tells Adam and Eve (and the serpent, for that matter) that they are cursed because of their sin, but He gives them a Promise right away.
And God never breaks His promises, no matter what people might believe.

reading the Bible in one year

Yes, January 2012 is behind us and February is well under way. This is a year that I have promised to myself will be a year of good things and a healthy body, mind, and soul. I'm working on the healthy body by working out, doing some yoga, and eating right. My mind is always nourished by reading books, especially those that fall under the classification of Great Books. My soul is nourished every Sunday morning when I attend church, but during the week I have been guilty of not paying attention to it. My soul, that is.

Thus, I have decided that it will be this year that I read the entire Bible. I have read most of it in the past, yes, but never the entire thing. At least I don't think so. The point is that I need to read it more often, and in a studious kind of way, not just opening the book and reading the first pages I come to. That method is not terrible, because everything in the Holy Scriptures is important and can be applied to my life; however, I need a way to focus better. So, beginning in Genesis, at the beginning, I am going to read the whole book!

Perhaps I will be through the Old Testament by July or August.

Many individuals meditate when they do yoga. Meditation is not all bad; you have to know what to meditate on. I choose to meditate on the Holy Word of God, to further enrich my soul on this earth.

If I can keep up with this blog in a more regular fashion *coughcough*maybe impossible*coughcough*, I shall update as I read, giving you my thoughts.

Also, any encouragement is greatly welcomed!