In the grand tapestry of creation, humanity stands as a unique masterpiece, intricately woven in the divine image of God. This profound truth carries profound implications for our understanding of self and purpose.
Exploring sacred scriptures unveils timeless wisdom, revealing the Creator’s fingerprints on every aspect of our existence.
The origin
Genesis 1:26-27 declares, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.'” This foundational passage unveils the divine craftsmanship bestowed upon humanity. The Creator’s fingerprints mark us as reflections of His glory. This truth ought to transform our perception of self and others, recognizing the inherent value and dignity each person possesses.
Grasping being made in God’s image deepens our understanding of purpose and worth, revealing the profound magnitude of this truth.
Image of Love and Compassion:
In light of our divine origin, the call to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31) takes on a deeper significance.
Recognizing God’s image in every individual compels our hearts to embrace compassion, empathy, and kindness.
Loving others becomes an expression of honoring the Creator, acknowledging the divine imprint on their lives. Through actively practicing love and compassion, we engage in the divine plan, unveiling the beauty of God’s image within us.
Image of Stewardship of Creation:
Understanding that we bear the image of the Creator also instills in us a responsibility to care for His creation. Genesis 2:15 instructs, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
As stewards of God’s image, we’re called to responsibly manage the environment, recognizing it reflects the Creator’s glory.
Recognizing the reflection of the Creator’s glory, we, as stewards of God’s image, are called to responsibly manage the environment.
Sustainable practices become worship, honoring our role in caring for God’s divine creation.
Pursuit of Holiness:
The scriptural truth of being created in God’s image compels us to pursue holiness. In Leviticus 19:2, God declares, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Recognizing the sacredness of our origin motivates us to align our lives with the character of our Creator. Through prayer, meditation on Scripture, and intentional obedience, we embark on a journey of spiritual transformation.
In our journey toward holiness, the divine fingerprints on our lives become increasingly evident, reflecting God’s glory to the world.
The Revelation:
In conclusion, the revelation that we are created in the image of God is a profound truth that shapes our identity, purpose, and interactions with the world. As we delve into the scriptures, we unearth the significance of this divine imprint and its transformative impact on our lives. Embracing our identity as bearers of God’s image, we are called to love, steward, and pursue holiness, allowing the Creator’s fingerprints to be a radiant reflection in every facet of our existence.
This year I am using the 365 Daily Devotions book I received for Christmas and applying it towards being dads. It’s called WALKING WITH GOD by DAVID JEREMIAH. It’s exciting to get to learn from a new resource this year as we have tried different options the past two years and will keep working through this one for 2024. For more information about the author and his ministry, visit: DavidJeremiah.org.
Topic: WHOSE IMAGE?
Verse: Matthew 22:20 (NIV)
and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
Firstly, let’s be the dads who when asked whose image we were made in we can point to God. Additionally, let’s be the dads who when asked whose inscription is upon our lives we can say Jesus. Therefore, today, let’s be aware of what is taking place around us and be able to use it to find common ground and point people to God!
Tattoos:
Today’s Devotional starts off speaking about tattoos. It speaks to how 40% of Americans between 26 and 40 have tattoos and how many of them later come to regret them and has triggered the industry of tattoo removals. It points us back to the Word of God and how not all things are reversable.
The image of God:
Looking at Romans 8:29 we read:
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
and how we are to conform to the image of Jesus. And yet we know from the scriptures on the end times, some will choose to be get the “mark of the beast” and isn’t reversable and yet some will choose to have it stamped on their foreheads and hands and worship the Antichrist. So let us not be fooled or tricked to swap having Jesus stamped on our heart for the mark of the beast on our bodies.
Choose to bear the stamp of Jesus:
Let’s cling to the Word of God and make the decision to be the dads who are stamped with Jesus in the way we choose to live as husbands, dads, and men in this world. 1 Corinthians 15:49 speaks to how
"just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man."
Let’s be the dads who don’t conform to the world but are transformed by the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says:
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Finding worth in Jesus:
Today’s Devotional closes pointing us to the lesson of Jesus in Matthew 22:19-22 which says:
Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
It calls for us to find our worth by having our lives stamped with Jesus in our lives. It finishes with these lyrics from the hymn “O to Be Like Thee” which says:
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Adam’s likeness now efface; stamp Thine image in its place.
CHARLES WESLEY
