Today’s scripture: Genesis 2:18-23 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Tammy Mills):
I love this account of creation. (Did you know there are two accounts? Compare them, sometime.) The image of God that I see in this passage is not an image I was taught much about as a child. It was only later in life I learned of this account of creation and the loving, intimate God shown here.
The image of God I see in this story is one of a loving parent, who delights in the reactions of the human. God creates the animals, then waits to see what the man will call each one.
I remember waiting to hear my daughters’ first words. My heart leapt for joy when I heard one say “puppy” and the other say “phone”. It was amazing to hear them “get their voices”. (Now, several years later, I occasionally long for they days before they had voice. ;-)) What an amazing picture of God — lovingly waiting, watching, to hear what the human would say.
God sees that man needs a partner, but the animals and creatures were not exactly the partner God had in mind.
Now, here is the part of the story that always brings happy tears to my eyes. It was out of God’s intense, passionate love for humanity that woman Eve came into being. It was love that brought woman into the world.
The reason this scripture is so powerful to me, is that I grew up in a culture — not just the secular culture, but the church culture, too — that often taught me the message that women were an afterthought. I got the message that women were created as a last resort — and out of leftovers! — for the use of man. Thank God, I feel differently today. This scripture has helped me to see that woman wasn’t just a patch for a missing part of creation, but rather, a part of God’s loving design.
Often when we think of this first woman, Eve, we think only of the “apple and serpent” story. Today’s reading reminds us that love brought Eve into the world! Eve was fabulous! In the Genesis 1 account of creation, God says that humanity — both men and women — are “very good”.
I, like Eve, am God’s child. I am not some afterthought, created solely for someone else’s benefit. God has declared me very good! God has declared us all very good!
Thought for the day: Can you envision God waiting to hear your voice? Can you imagine God delighting in hearing your words? None of us is an afterthought to God.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to start, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.