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Millard Kinnison on January 11, 2024

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Together in Christ: 'Made in God's Image' — Genesis 1:27-28

Thursday, January 11, 2024

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."

— Genesis 1:27-28 NLT

Key Thought

As we have seen in previous devotionals, our Creator is the God of relationships, and He made many of us with a need for a unique, intimate, authentic, spiritual connection with someone different from us. In God's plan, a man and a woman become "united into one" in marriage. [1] Jesus taught that this relationship should be a life-long commitment. [2] Marriage must be valued and honored among God's people and kept holy. [3] We all are to take on God's character — faithfulness, mercy, graciousness, slowness to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. These characteristics produce a marriage that is God's place to bring new life into existence and build a stable family that honors God. [4] While these values may not be the world's values for marriage, Scripture makes clear that these values find their origin in the character of God himself:

The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed,

"The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love." [5]

[1] Genesis 2:18-25.

[2] Matthew 19:1-15.

[3] Hebrews 13:4.

[4] Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Genesis 18:19.

[5] Exodus 34:6 NRSV.

Today's Prayer

Father, we acknowledge that as Your people, we have not valued marriage and the gift of children as we should have. Many of us carry deep concerns for our society's apparent disregard for the marriage commitment, the sanctity of human life, the value of each child, and the protection of the intimate love between a husband and wife. Forgive us for our personal failures. Reawaken us to the power of the Holy Spirit to make our marriages new and fresh, our commitments lasting, and our character shaped to be Your character. We pray for Your help in Jesus' name. Amen.