Today’s scripture: Genesis 5 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Steve Adams):
What an impressive historical record this is! It must have taken generations of dedicated historians to provide all the information. But it’s not just dry history; it’s a rich spiritual record. And how fascinating to see the length of life back then! Just imagine living 800 or 900 years!
Genesis 5 reminds me of a treasure I have. My grandmother wrote a short diary entry every day for forty-plus years of her life. One of my favorite things to do is open her diary to say 1963, when I was in the third grade, and read what was happening in my grandparents’ lives. Her discipline all those years ago provides my brother and I with wonderful snapshots, mostly about ordinary days, but also weddings, births, deaths, and even who was in attendance at Christmas dinner.
I’d like to ask you to think about something. Consider the loving and heroic acts and day-to-day experiences of someone you knew who has died, or who you know of through history. Maybe it’s ancestors, Mother Theresa, a biblical (s)hero, or some other personality from the past. Do they seem distant because they’re no longer living? Less relevant, vital or real?
I think from a spiritual perspective, every act of love from the past is just as vital, just as real as what happened today or last week. God is eternal and sees the entire scope of history. We tend to see what’s current as more relevant than the past, and those who are alive as more real than those who have died. But not God. It’s all just as real and immediate to God, no matter when it happened.
This reminds me of the joy it is to read the LifeJourney Memorial Records, a history of church members that Byron Williams has put together. You may have had a chance to look it over during Anniversary Sunday last year. Many wonderful people from the history of our church came alive once again for me as I leafed through the pages last year. Just one example is Pam Wence, a wonderful woman who was an instrumental leader during the early years of our church.
Another thing the genealogical records from Genesis provide is a timeline that documents the accuracy of the Biblical record, even showing the genealogy of Jesus Christ. I don’t know much about that, but I’ve read enough to get a taste of it and see it’s a fascinating and inspiring subject to study and learn about.
Thought for the Day: Thank you record-keepers, clerks, and historians! You give us the gift of learning from the examples of our spiritual ancestors – something that, without your diligence, would have been lost.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.