Good afternoon. Yes, afternoon and not morning. My usual routine was quite disrupted this morning by something I do not rather enjoy…a toothache. This was one was quite intense and offered me a rather unforgettable Memorial Day yesterday to say the least. Why is it that tooth problems seem to always fall on a weekend or a holiday? Well, anyway my day started today at 8am in a dentist chair after only a few hours of Tylenol PM induced sleep. Oh, the adventures of life.
So here I sit in the afternoon, running on half empty, knocking out the 5MC. Folks, let me tell you something, the devil is a crafty sort and he can and will do anything to derail or completely halt God’s work. Now I’m not one of those crazy guys that blames everything on the devil. “They’re out of Honey Nut Cheerios at Wal-Mart? Not the devil. My car won’t start? Not the devil. My electric bill was high this month? Not the devil. But do you want to know the absolute best clarifier to see if satan is involved? Is it affecting God’s Work? It’s a pure and simple test. Satan’s plan is to do just that. To either completely stop or at least delay or falter the work of God. When I have plans to serve God, glorify God or promote the Word of God and it gets delayed or destroyed…look around for satan. When this does happen, what do you do? Fight. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
My sweet spot for focus is in the morning hours not in the afternoon. After the day got derailed, I had a choice facing me squarely in the mirror. Spend time in God’s Word or skip it. Write the 5MC or skip it. My tooth is killing me, I’m tired from little sleep last night and I’m hungry but can’t use my tooth to chew. Do you think I wanted to spend time in God’s Word? Not so much. I started reading Genesis 1 about 12 times and lost focus each time. I kept praying for focus and it didn’t want to come. But when this happens, fight. I prayed for God to put satan behind me so I could focus on Him. It still didn’t come. I want to close my Bible and go lay down. But no. I’m stubborn. Stubborn for God. Sometimes it’s not about the quality or the quantity but simply getting it done. Anytime in God’s Word is better than no time in God’s Word. God’s blessings must be claimed and sometimes that’s not easy…at all.
So, setbacks, obstacles, toothache and all, here we are in Genesis 1. Arguably one of the most powerful collection of words ever assembled. Almost everyone can quote the first few words of the Bible and most can even go farther and describe God’s creation. Genesis chapter 1, a limitlessly powerful text that one could expound upon for lifetimes.
As I read through it this afternoon something struck me. It struck me 7 times. “It was good.”
1) - “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good.” Gen 1:3-4a
2) - “10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.” Gen 1:10
3) - “The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” Gen 1:12
4) - “ And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.” Gen 1:17-18
5) - “So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” Gen 1:21
6) - “And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” Gen 1:25
7) - “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” Gen 1:31
And God saw that it was good. God is good, is He not? I sorely needed this reminder today. My Heavenly Father is good. He creates good things. When I look up at the sky and I see the beautiful myriad of rich blues superimposed with soft white clouds as the sun warms my face, it is good. When I look at a sunset and admire the blazes of oranges and reds carefully mixed together into a masterpiece that should hang, it is good. As I look into the beautiful eyes of my Margie and see her love for me radiated through her bright brown eyes, it is good. As I see a lost sinner saved by the grace of God, it is good. As I see a loved one pass into eternity as a follower of Jesus Christ, destined to their true home in Heaven, it is good. As I look back and see how God has continued to bless the life of this sinner, it is good.
Oh, how good He is.
God made it all and it is all good. What a beautiful reminder I got today as I struggled to see the good in my current situation. A reminder to pick up my head and look around. There is good all around us, but we must first look up and look out. Look out of our small world and look into God’s vast world. There is so much to see, and it is all good. How do I know? Because God made it all…and it was good.
As I finish writing this, I notice that my tooth has momentarily stopped hurting. Thank you, God.
See you again tomorrow, pray for each other.
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