God of the Very Good

Not long ago, I picked up some colored pencils and a Bible; sat down; opened to Genesis; and started underlining all the subjects and verbs.

All God did, I’m underlining in green; all man did, I underline in brown.

Have you ever read Genesis 1 and 2 and felt like doing what God did on Day 7, and just rest?

Because that’s what I’ve felt like doing ever since I started this exercise.

In Genesis 1, man isn’t on the scene yet, so every subject and verb is God alone doing all the work.

                God created.

                God said.

                God moved.

                God saw.

                God made.

                God called.        

                God placed.

                God blessed.

The chapter ends with God looking at all He had done.

And it was very good.

When man shows up on the scene in chapter 2, he names the animals.

But then, God puts him to sleep.

While man slept, God worked on his behalf.

God formed Eve.

God brought her to Adam.

Man slept.

God worked.

And it was very good.

Man takes things into his own hands in chapter 3.

He messes things up.

But God still worked.

Only now, His work was to intervene in a broken world that was no longer very good.

            God spoke to the man, to the woman, and to the serpent.

God made garments for Adam and his wife. . . and clothed them.

                               

As I make my way through Genesis, I see the same thing happening over and over. 

Man works. Man messes up.

He tries and fails.

He sins and stumbles.

He steps in where he should have stayed out.

But I also see God still at work.

                God remembered Noah.

                God established His covenant.

                God appeared to Abram.

And, today, He’s still at work.

We work. We mess up.

We try and fail.

We sin and stumble.

We step in where we should stay out.

But God still works all things—even the “broken-world” sort of things—for good (Romans 8:28).

Rest in the remembrance that God does just fine without us.

Just like He did long ago when He spoke.

He made.

He moved.

He worked.

And it was very good.