In the Beginning...

Our pastor, Tim Skaggs, has challenged our church family to read the Bible through this calendar year. I've decided to chronicle my journey through this blog.

My journey began like so many of my life's journeys - playing catch-up! I did not read on January 1, and what I am typing right now was actually written in a journal yesterday, Janaury 2. So I began faced with two days of assignments. One of my prayers is that this endeavor will life-altering for me. I do so want to walk closer wtih my Lord and to know Him and understand His Word. I must confess that I've always thought reading the Bible from cover to cover is not something I would find meaningful. I'm not at all opposed to reading and studying it, but I have an aversion to the "cover-to-cover" thing. I mean, it's not a novel or a chronological series of events. It's more a book of short works - like an anthology - with each work independent of the others. But the Spirit has tugged at my heart to travel this road, so off I go, promising to do my best! I may not write everyday, but I do intend on writing often and recording my thoughts as they come. so, here I go...

Yesterday, I read day 1 and 2 of our guide (you can find the guide at church's link on the left). That reading included Genesis 1 -5 and Luke 1-2. I'll write about Genesis first.

Creation: Day 1 - God created day and night; Day 2 - God separated heaven from earth; Day 3 - He created dry land and divided the seas; called what He had done "good." also brough forth vegetation; Day 4 - It was time for the sun, moon and stars - and they were "good." Day 5 - He decided on water creatures and birds - and they were also "good" and He blessed them; Day 6 - Animals and living creature on land were created - "good". THEN He said, "Let Us make man in Our image..." So He made them male and female, blessed them, and gave them dominion over all sea and land creatures. He looked at all He had made and said it was "VERY GOOD!"

He goes into more detail about the creation of man in chapter 2. We learned that man was formed from dust and God breathed life into his nose! He planted a garden for man that had food of all kinds. It also included the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which man was instructed NOT to eat from. The penalty for eating from this tree was death. Out of this garden the flowing river branched into four rivers - two of which names we are familar with today - Tigris and Euphrates. Just as God did not want to be alone, he wanted man to have a companion as well. So He put Adam to sleep and removed one rib from which He made woman. Adam called her "Eve."