Day 1 — Created for God

Day 1 · The Gospel: God’s Saving Grace · Genesis 1:26–31; 2:15–17 (NET2)

The Bible’s story begins with God’s good creation. Before we consider what has gone wrong, we see the goodness of our Creator and the dignity and responsibility he gives human beings.

Request

Father, by your Spirit, help me receive your Word with a teachable heart. Show me the goodness of your creation and help me live today in grateful dependence on you, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Read

Genesis 1:26–31

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”

²⁷ God created humankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them,
male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” ²⁹ Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has living breath in it—I give every green plant for food.” It was so.

³¹ God saw all that he had made—and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 2:15–17

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it. ¹⁶ Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.”

Scripture: NET Bible, Second Edition (NET2). Notice God’s blessing, provision, and command.

Reflect

1. What do God’s words and actions show you about his goodness and his purposes for human beings?
2. How might being made in God’s image shape the way you treat one person or carry out one responsibility today?

Restate

In one or two sentences, put into your own words what this passage teaches about God and the life he gives us.

Respond

Let the passage guide your prayer. Use these prompts in your own words:

• Praise: Worship God as the wise and good Creator.
• Thanksgiving: Thank him for life, his provision, and the dignity he gives people.
• Confession: Acknowledge ways you have disregarded his word or treated someone as less than his image-bearer. Rest in Christ’s forgiveness as you turn to God.
• Intercession: Pray for someone whose dignity is overlooked or whose daily needs are pressing.
• Petition: Ask for wisdom and strength to care faithfully for the people and responsibilities entrusted to you.

Carry it into today: Choose one practical way to honor another person or care for what God has entrusted to you.