"GOD looked over everything He had made; it was so good, so very good!" 

(v. 31 The Message).

The second story recorded in the first chapter of Genesis tells the events of the "creation cycle." On the first day, God created LIGHT, forming days and nights; the second day, God created SKY, separating water from water; the third day, God separated the WATERS, creating land and earth; the fourth day, God created night from day and seasons; the fifth day, God created creatures of the ocean; and the sixth day, God created the creatures of the land. Then he looked at what he had done, and it was GOOD.

And now God created humans; "They will be like us" (v. 26), and he made man and woman (v. 27). God looked at what he had done, and it was VERY GOOD. It's interesting to note that on the first six days in the creation cycle God said it was GOOD, but when God created man and woman, he said it was VERY GOOD.

We, male and female, are created in the image of God. What a tremendous gift that God gave us as human beings. Paul reminds us to be "good stewards of our temple," meaning that we are the temple of the living God. As Paul said, "Did you not know that you are the temple of the living God?" By our confession of faith and belief in the living Christ, we are the manifestation of God's presence in our world today.

Lord, we reaffirm your creative and redemptive presence in our lives each and every day. Amen.

Will G. Barnes