Scripture: Genesis 2:4-5
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up–for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
Thought for the Day: We all have a few of those spiritual sages who offer us nuggets of truth and insight on which we can feast for months. Dr. Rick Lowery is one of those people for me. I have had the pleasure of being with Rick at an event in Kansas City the last couple of days, and one image that captured my attention was when he pointed out both the problem and potential solution revealed in these words from Genesis 2. When the earth was created, it was without vegetation. A desert was originally created, and this is the problem posed by this portion of scripture. But the solution is not far off as the passage goes on to speak of God, the One who will bring the rains, and the human who will till the ground. The formula to solve this problem is found in the partnership between God and humanity. How often do we look to God for the solution to our problems, when in fact, God may have already given what is needed from the divine side of the equation. Fulfillment is simply waiting for us to pick-up the tools and begin our part of the task. From the beginning, God has been relational. The realization of God’s dream requires our recognition that we are not lowly observers, but those who choose to live into this relationship and take serious the collaborative model.
Prayer: God, you have been so generous in those things that give rise to hope and peace, and you did so because you have chosen to share in love. Yet to make real your dream in this world, you need partners. Serious partners! Give me the courage to stand alongside you in this good work. Amen.
