TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 2:1-3
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. - Exodus 20:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
Walking through the fields one Saturday, Jesus’ disciples began to pick some grain. The Pharisees, looking for a way to challenge Jesus’ authority, accused them of acting against Mosaic Law by “harvesting” on the Sabbath.

In reply, Jesus reminded them of an episode in the life of David. Once, when hungry and tired (see 1 Sam. 21), David and his men ate consecrated bread which was supposed to be eaten only by the priests (Lev. 24:8-9).

What’s the connection? Both David and Jesus’ disciples had done something technically forbidden by the Law. But in both cases, they remained within the spirit of the Law because they acted out of physical need. Human welfare ranks higher than rules, or as Jesus said: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Furthermore, He is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark. 2:23-28)!

The idea of the Sabbath comes directly from the creation narrative. Following His creative activity (cf. Isa. 48:13), God rested (v. 2). Was He tired? No. His work was finished--complete and perfect. His resting reinforced the “very good” declaration He had just made (Gen. 1:31) by showing there was nothing more to do. He also rested to show us a pattern that after work, rest is appropriate and necessary (cf. Eccl. 3:1).

For the Israelites, the Law prescribed a Saturday Sabbath, as seen in the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:8-11). There is no New Testament equivalent to this command, though some believe that Sunday is our Sabbath, in honor of Christ’s Resurrection. The book of Hebrews teaches that “Sabbath” is also a spiritual concept, symbolizing our spiritual rest in God (4:1-11).

At work or ministry, we are often on the go continuously, yet the only One with unlimited energy and time (cf. Ps. 121:4) does no such thing. That fact should give us pause--God has modeled for us the importance of resting.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We are often busy people. Sometimes we rest only when we must or when we’re forced to do so. Yet, because God built rest into the pattern of creation, we need to build it into the rhythm of our lives as well.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 2:4-24
This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. - Genesis 2:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
Two schools of rabbinical thought dominated the debate over divorce in Jesus’ day. The followers of Shammai believed the Law permitted it only in cases of marital unfaithfulness, while the followers of Hillel allowed it any time a husband was displeased. One day, they brought this thorny issue to Jesus.

Jesus came down on the side of Shammai, and His answer goes back to creation. “Haven’t you read . . . ?” This inquiry must have tweaked their scholarly noses. He quoted some verses from Genesis, reminding them that God created humanity and He intended two people--one man and one woman--to be united together as one. “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matt. 19:1-12).

Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce is rooted in the creation narrative. This is the final lesson or principle we’ll consider from Genesis: God’s original design for marriage.

Genesis 2 focuses on and retells with more details God’s creation of humanity. Adam was “formed”--the Hebrew verb suggests pottery--from the dust of the ground, and God gave him the “breath of life” (v. 7). He placed the first man in a special setting, Eden; gave him special tasks: gardening and giving names to the animals (vv. 15, 20); and laid down a special rule: not eating from the tree of knowledge (v. 17).

God observed that it was “not good for the man to be alone” (v. 18), for practical and emotional reasons (such as procreation and companionship). That no “suitable helper” (v. 20) could be found emphasizes the uniqueness of both man and woman. To remedy this lack, God made Eve out of one of Adam’s ribs (v. 22)--so today’s verse is quite literal!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We’d like to recommend two books that might help you in building a godly and loving marriage. Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languagesfrom Moody Press talks about expressing and receiving love in different ways and is also applicable to relationships with family and friends.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 1:18-25
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen. - Romans 1:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
Tiger moths are one of the few insects which regularly escape from bats. Bats locate their prey with their complex sonar, then attack at 75 miles per hour. So how does a tiger moth elude them? Scientists have known for at least two decades about the escapes, but until recently they did not know how it was done.

A University of Toronto zoologist believes he’s found the answer. Tiger moths emit an ultrasonic clicking sound which resembles the sound of a bat’s sonar. These clicks may be “jamming” the bat’s sonar perceptions, or defending the tiger moth in another unknown way. At any rate, when a tiger moth emits these clicks, the attacking bat will usually veer away instead of snatching its target.

Both the bat’s sonar and the tiger moth’s “jamming” are more sophisticated than anything the Pentagon has! The more we learn about the complexity and intricate balances of the natural world, the more we realize a supernatural Designer must be the cause.

From the Genesis creation account, we now move on to the second part of our month’s study: seeing how creation reveals various attributes of God. Because we know our Maker, we can see His hand all around us!

We see that creation reveals God’s existence. Despite philosophies such as naturalism and skepticism, this truth is obvious, leaving people with no excuse for rejecting God (v. 20).

He has made His existence plain by means of the created world (vv. 19-20). Past generations of Christians have called creation the “Book of Nature,” which reveals God generally, just as the Bible reveals God specifically.

Why do people deny God? They suppress the truth out of wickedness (vv. 18, 21). Following God means that they have to give up their sinful ways, and that’s unacceptable for them. Tragically, this brings God’s wrath upon them (vv. 24-25).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Our suggested application today is educational. Pick an area of nature about which you’d like to learn more, such as stars, birds, or insects. Your choice might be a general topic, such as mineral formation, or a specific animal or insect.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Job 26:6-14
But God made the earth by his power. - Jeremiah 10:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed sophisticated computer tools for predicting and studying tropical storms.

Their software combines images and data from many different satellites to create more accurate pictures. Using them, weather forecasters can take closer looks at typhoons, cyclones, and hurricanes. They can give earlier warnings and can better analyze factors such as the origin, development, strength, and duration of these fearsome storms.

But all forces and elements of nature are completely within the power of our sovereign God. Even a hurricane is in the palm of His hand.

Yesterday’s passage (Rom. 1:20) mentioned that creation reveals God’s power, as does Genesis 1–2, which we studied earlier in the month. In today’s reading, Job also describes God’s greatness and power.

God is more powerful than death (Job 26:6). The so-called “law of nature” is not the highest law. Death is not a fearsome mystery (cf. 1 Cor. 15:54-55).

The proof of God’s power is seen in creation (Job 26:7-14; cf. Jer. 10:11-16). Job gives a poetic description of the skies, clouds, moon, sea, and other natural features. The “boundary” (v. 10) reminds us of the divisions that God built into the natural world (Gen. 1:14; cf. Jer. 31:35). The shaking “pillars” (v. 11) are probably a metaphor for earthquakes. The churning seas (v. 12) are surely part of a storm, while “Rahab” seems to refer to a legendary sea monster. Encouragingly, God’s power is also seen when the weather is fair (v. 13).

The Lord has power over all these things; in fact, in comparison with Him, they are nothing at all. “These are but the outer fringe of His works,” the faintest whisper (v. 14; cf. 1 Cor. 13:12)! The rhetorical question that closes the chapter emphasizes how far God’s power is above our understanding.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The book of Job has a number of fascinating poetic passages describing God’s creation. Today, why not take a look at Job 36:22--37:24? This reading has themes parallel to those in today’s passage, and makes an excellent supplement.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 45:5-12, 18
I am the Lord, and there is no other. - Isaiah 45:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
How does a parent gain the right to discipline a child? Simply by virtue of being the child’s parent. That’s how God designed the family to work (Col. 3:20).

Consider, then, a small child who does not want to obey his mother. “Mom,” he says, “you’re not my boss any more. I can take care of myself. Even though you’re my mother, I don’t acknowledge your right to guide or discipline me. I think I know better and can do better on my own. I reject your authority--I’ll handle things from here on out.”

How do you think such a child would do in the real world? No doubt you’re shaking your head in dismay.

Yet this was precisely Israel’s attitude in today’s Scripture reading. Even though God was the Maker of their nation (v. 11), they preferred to go their own way. This attitude dismayed Isaiah, who said that for Israel to quarrel with her Maker was foolish, out of order, and pointless (vv. 9-10).

God knows best, and His power is irresistible. He is not merely the “top dog” among other gods (like Zeus of Olympus)--He is the one true God (vv. 5-6, 18). Even though King Cyrus (see vv. 1, 13) doesn’t acknowledge Him, God will use him to bring the Israelites home from exile in order to glorify His name. Though Cyrus worshiped Babylonian gods, what he did was by and through God, for He is sovereign even when He is not worshiped.

God is sovereign over everything, from light to darkness, from prosperity to disaster (v. 7; cf. Ps. 50:10-12). His sovereignty is not random or cruel, but purposeful and righteous (v. . He is like a potter working with clay, shaping us according to His will (v. 9; cf. Isa. 29:16 and 64:. Do we doubt or resist this? Creation provides compelling evidence (v. 12).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The main point of today’s devotion is that creation reveals God’s right to rule the universe (vv. 12, 18). Now let’s make that point more personal: God has the right to rule you (cf. Rom. 9:20-21)!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 3:13-20; Job 28:20-28
By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations. - Proverbs 3:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
Prefacing the second of his Ancient Faith trilogy of albums on the Old Testament, entitled “The Way of Wisdom,” musician Michael Card wrote:

“It is vital, however, to understand that possessing knowledge in the biblical sense means more than merely accumulating facts. It has to do with making wisdom a part of your self, of allowing the things you know to come alive inside your heart as well as your mind. The process of wisdom coming to life in us is a paradigm for understanding the Incarnation, whereby the Wisdom of God, the Word became flesh, came to life. . . . Once we meet Him we possess the greatest wisdom of all. In our embrace of Him we hold all Wisdom.”

God’s great, deep wisdom, embodied in the person of His Son, is also revealed in His creation. In addition to powerfully speaking the world into being, He ordered and patterned it in ways both useful and beautiful. When He called it “very good” (Gen. 1:31), this is part of what He meant.

Amazingly, the wisdom by which God created and organized the world is available to us!

At the start of the Proverbs passage, we are encouraged to pursue wisdom (v. 13). Solomon uses metaphors of precious metals and jewels to describe its value (vv. 14-15; cf. Ps. 119:72), and hyperbole to accentuate the good results of living a wise life (vv. 16-17). In summary, “She is a tree of life to those who embrace her” (v. 18; cf. Ps. 1:3).

Then Solomon steps back to see the big picture. The wisdom he’s talking about is the same wisdom by which God created the world (vv. 19-20; cf. Prov. 8:22-31). Whenever you ask God for wisdom (James 1:5), you’ll receive the same wisdom that was on display in Genesis!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God’s wisdom is definitely a topic that could use more attention! Today, we suggest that you plan to do additional Bible study on wisdom. You might do a word study through the whole Bible, or focus on a chapter such as Proverbs 8.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 9:8-17
I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. - Genesis 9:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
The New Age movement has tried to steal the symbol of the rainbow, but it belongs to us!

Rainbows appear in association with many representations of the New Age movement--on merchandise such as troll dolls and crystal pendants, on posters advertising “concerts for world peace,” and so on.

The idea seems to be that rainbows inspire thoughts of peace, happiness, or good fortune. They stand for a bright future in which people will have come through the “storm” of modern problems and begun to build a New Age utopia inhabited by enlightened, generous, mystical individuals.

The rainbow does possess a significance that lies deep in the memory of the human race. But it has nothing to do with New Age dreams. The reason for its symbolic force is that it stands for God’s covenant with Noah and with all creation, as seen in today’s reading.

The worldwide Flood had ended, the waters had receded, and life was about to start anew. God had preserved not only human beings, but also two of every kind of animal (cf. Gen. 6:19-21) with which to repopulate the earth.

The basis for this fresh start is a new covenant, symbolized in the apparently new phenomenon of the rainbow. The parties to this covenant include every creature that had been on the Ark, in addition to Noah and his family. This is the only time in Scripture that animals are explicitly mentioned as participating in a covenant.

Why are they listed? The Flood had been universal, affecting the whole of the created world. So the promise that there would never be such a flood again (vv. 11, 15) is likewise a promise to all of creation, “an everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth” (v. 16; cf. Rev. 5:13).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How much does God love creation? “God so loved the world”--the word used here is cosmos, meaning all of creation (see January 7)--“that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God’s love is revealed in Jesus Christ!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Colossians 1:15-20
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. - Colossians 1:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
An article by A. W. Tozer appeared in The Alliance Witnessjust two days after his death on May 13, 1963. What was on Tozer’s heart when he went to meet his Maker? “The Waning Authority of Christ in the Churches.”

Early in the article, he says: “Jesus Christ has today almost no authority at all among the groups that call themselves by His name. . . . [He] is lauded, feted, and supported, but His real authority is small. Nominally He is head over all, but in every crisis someone else makes the decisions. . . . [Even if His headship] is taught as a theory in the classroom, it is rarely applied to practical living. The idea that the Man Christ Jesus has absolute and final authority over the whole church and over all of its members in every detail of their lives is simply not now accepted as true by the rank and file of evangelical Christians.”

Christ’s lordship over the church is our focus in today’s reading from Colossians.

Christ’s total supremacy (cf. Eph. 1:22) is true because he reveals God. He is the “image of the invisible God” (Col.1:18), meaning that though God cannot be seen, we do see Him in the incarnate Christ (cf. John 1:18; Heb. 1:3). He is also the “firstborn over all creation,” meaning that He is the ruler or head of the natural world (v. 15).

His supremacy is further seen in the fact that “all things were created by Him and for Him” (v. 16; cf. John 1:3). This includes both things on earth and things in heaven (the Colossians were struggling with a heresy involving angels).

We want to stress here how naturally Christ’s lordship over creation flows into His Lordship over the church (v. 18; cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-27). This may not seem a logical connection to us, but it was to Paul. To him, Christ’s sovereignty over the physical and spiritual realms was a single piece of cloth. To go from the created world to the church and on to salvation (vv. 19-20) was to be writing on a single theme.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Christ is not only Savior, He is also Lord. Yesterday, we asked you if Christ is your Savior. Today, we want to ask if He’s your Lord as well. In practice, the two are difficult to separate.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 40:25-31
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. - Isaiah 40:28
TODAY IN THE WORD
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God,” begins a sonnet by the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins.

The poem’s beginning affirms that the glory of God shines forth in nature. But there’s a problem. The divine authority it represents is not recognized or acknowledged by human beings.

Why not? Because human sinfulness has marred the original design: “All is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; / And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell.”

The poem goes on, however, to assert the permanence of the goodness God placed in creation. Despite our sinful, “smearing” effect, this deeper reality remains, testifies to the Creator, and gives hope.

In the sonnet’s concluding couplet, Hopkins alludes to Genesis 1:2, picturing the Spirit hovering over creation--pointing both to its redemption (Rom. 8:21) and to the new heaven and earth to come (see January 29--30).

In this poem and in Isaiah 40, creation reveals God’s overall supremacy (cf. Neh. 9:6; Ps. 89:11; Isa. 37:16 and 48:12-13). This is the concluding idea for the second part of this month’s study.

Our passage begins with a rhetorical question (v. 25). The answer is obvious--that God has no equals--and Isaiah goes on to give justification for it. Basically, the evidence is in front of our faces: “Lift your eyes.” God made the stars. Not only that, but since He calls them by name and knows that none are missing (cf. Luke 15:3-7), He must love and care for them (v. 26).

This sounds like a great basis for trusting God. Surely the Creator of the cosmos can handle our lives. Yet because they were in exile, the Israelites complained that God didn’t care about their problems (v. 27).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Isaiah 40:30-31 would make excellent verses for you to memorize today. Scripture memorization is a spiritual discipline that helps believers fight temptation and fills our minds with biblical truths. “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. - John 1:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
We introduced the devotional readings for January 8--9 with episodes from the Gospels. In dealing with the purpose of the Sabbath, and with God’s design for marriage, we thought it would be more than appropriate to cross-reference what Christ said about these during his earthly ministry.

But we had more than that in mind. To the Pharisees, Jesus was just another traveling teacher. Everyone had an idea about these controversial issues, and to many people Jesus was just one more opinion.

For us, on the other hand, Jesus’ word is authoritative. Debate stops. Why? One reason is because our Savior is also our Creator. When He spoke about the Sabbath or marriage, He was not referring to tradition or Scripture--He spoke from personal experience! He knew what He was talking about because He was the author. He was there!

At the time Creation began, Christ was with God; in fact, He was God--fully God, not a created being (vv. 1-2; cf. Heb. 1:3). As God, He is the eternal, self-existent “I Am.” These opening phrases of John consciously echo the opening of Genesis.

What was the Son’s role in Creation? “Through Him all things were made” (v. 3). Another text says, “through whom He made the universe” (Heb. 1:2). We might say the Son was the means by which the Father created: God spoke the universe into being, and Christ is the Word. Colossians adds that creation is “for Him” (1:16), suggesting that its aim or purpose is His glory.

This is the foundation for John’s whole Gospel narrative. The details of Christ’s redemptive mission follow from His identity as God and Creator. John thus links the doctrine of creation with that of redemption. This is the topic for the third part of our study this month. If these two doctrines are far apart in your mind, this week we’ll bring them closer together.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Christ and creation are celebrated on City On a Hill,a music CD released in August of last year which features worship songs by various Christian artists. If you enjoy listening to praise music, we encourage you to purchase this album in the near future.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 17:22-31
The God who made the world and everything in it . . . gives all men life and breath and everything else. - Acts 17:24-25
TODAY IN THE WORD
Darwin’s Black Box,by biochemistry professor Michael Behe, challenges the theory of evolution and proposes that “intelligent design” is the only explanation for life.

In an interview, Behe described the thesis of his book: “Science has shown that the cell is an extremely complex system containing proteins and nucleic acids and all sorts of miniaturized machines. In my book I go through a number of these machines and argue that Darwinian natural selection

cannot have produced them because they have a property called irreducible complexity; that is, they consist of a number of parts, all of which must be present for the machine to work. . . . I argue that such systems are best explained as the result of deliberate intelligent design.”

This scientist has reached a conclusion similar to that of the apostle Paul: the created world is evidence enough for God. In today’s reading, he uses it as a witness to the gospel.

The setting is Athens, a city fascinated by philosophy and religion. Paul had been given a chance to speak to a local audience. But since they had zero background in Jewish culture or the Old Testament, he was forced to start from general revelation (cf. Rom. 1:18-25).

Based on this, we see that the Creator is the Lord of His world (cf. Deut. 10:14; Ps. 24:1-2). He does not need and cannot be contained by human works, such as temples (cf. 1 Kings 8:27). Rather, the reverse is true: He gives us everything, and we’re totally dependent on Him (vv. 24-25, 29). Specifically, the Creator made human beings--every nation from one man (Adam)--and planned their futures (v. 26).

So what? “God did this so that men would seek Him” (v. 27). He put evidence of Himself into our lives to draw us to Himself.

Now with the advent of Christ, a new time has arrived, a new revelation of who God is. People need to repent and turn to Him (vv. 30-31).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In light of the fact that creation is a witness to the good news of God’s grace in Christ, here’s a brief prayer that’s particularly appropriate:

Thou whose Almighty Word chaos and darkness heard,

And took their flight; Hear us, we humbly pray,

And where the gospel-day sheds not its glorious ray,

Let there be light!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 5:12-19
How much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! - Romans 5:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
The purpose of democratic elections is to allow voters to choose candidates to lead and represent them. The position might be President of the United States, local sanitation commissioner, representative to your state legislature, or school district board member, but in most cases the job of an elected official is to speak for a certain group of people: his or her constituents. When these officials pass laws or change policies, those constituents are directly affected.

Though the analogy isn’t perfect, something like that was true of Adam--but his “constituency” was the entire human race! In a sense, he represented all of us in the Garden of Eden when he chose to disobey God and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:6). And his action has dictated that we, his descendants, are born in bondage to sin (cf. Rom. 3:23; Gal. 4:7).

That’s part of the picture here in Romans 5, but there’s more. Adam’s actions and their consequences are contrasted with Christ’s redemptive work and its implications. This classic and complex passage thus locates Christ’s work squarely in the context of the Creation and Fall narratives of early Genesis.

Contrast permeates our reading. Adam brought punishment, Christ a gift. Through Adam, sin and death entered the world; through Christ, grace and life overflow (vv. 12, 15; cf. John 10:10). Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but Christ’s sacrifice led to justification (v. 16). Due to Adam, death reigned on earth; but for those who have received the gift of God’s Son (cf. John 1:12), life reigns (v. 17).

As Paul drew out the implications of the fact that we all sinned in Adam, and that Adam was a “pattern of the one to come” (v. 14), he repeated similar ideas in different ways to reinforce them. The bottom line is that with Adam, one sin brought us deserved condemnation; with Christ, one act of righteousness brought us undeserved salvation (vv. 18-19; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we like to do from time to time, today we recommend additional Bible study to complement your use of Today in the Word. But instead of suggesting a specific topic or passage, we’d like to invite you to study our cross-references more closely.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 8:17-21
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. - Romans 8:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the basic principles of science is called the “second law of thermodynamics” or the “law of morpholysis.” This law states that left to themselves, natural systems become disordered or disorganized. The energy runs out. The complexity deteriorates. It’s called “entropy.”

This principle applies universally. Your watch, without new batteries, will run down and cease to function. Your car will not stay in good working order if you pay no attention to it. The plant you don’t water withers. Stars eventually cool. People and animals grow old and die. There are no exceptions.

But this is not the way it was meant to be. This may surprise you, since to us it just seems part of the “natural order” of things. The truth is that the created world is in “bondage to decay” (v. 21) because of the original sin. Nature suffers from our sin,and in some sense will share in our redemption.

As heirs of Christ, we suffer like Him--this is the road to sharing in His glory (v. 17). In comparison to this future glory, our present troubles and trials are nothing (v. 18).

The created world is also hoping in this future glory, waiting “in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed” (v. 19; cf. 1 John 3:2). Paul shows creation here waiting anxiously, knowing what will happen and longing for it.

Why is creation interested in what happens to us? Because its destiny is hitched to ours, as we are its rulers or stewards (Gen. 1:28). It suffers from sin not by any fault of its own, but because of humanity’s disobedient choice in Eden (v. 20; cf. Gen. 3:17-19). The Greek word, translated frustration, carries implications of futility, frailty, and purposelessness--and scientifically speaking, entropy.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Perhaps you feel like creation today, groaning for redemption, suffering under the troubles and trials of this present life. Encourage your heart by memorizing the first two verses of today’s reading: Romans 8:17-18. Keeping them ready in your memory will boost your faith!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 8:22-25
The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. - Romans 8:22
TODAY IN THE WORD
An environmental catastrophe unfolded last summer in Brazil. When a pipe burst, more than one million gallons of crude oil was dumped by the Petrobras company into the Barigui River. The oil drifted downstream, endangering drinking water, farmland, and animal life for a distance of 140 miles. Workers and volunteers labored around the clock to stop the oil’s flow before it reached the city of Uniao da Vitoria (population: 70,000).

Brazilian officials said the spill was the worst river contamination in their history--worse than a similar accident only six months before. That same company had spilled 345,000 gallons of oil into Guanabara Bay, polluting beaches and killing ocean life near the capital of Rio de Janeiro. For its carelessness, Petrobras was hit with a $28 million fine.

When we read about or come in personal contact with incidents such as this, we can almost hear for ourselves the groans of creation described in today’s reading.

Continuing from yesterday, we pick up the theme that the created world is waiting eagerly for our glorification, for at that time it will also be liberated from its bondage (v. 21).

In the meantime, just as we suffer (v. 17), creation also suffers. Still personifying it, Paul described it as “groaning,” an emotional term suggesting crying or suffering. But specifically, creation is groaning like a woman in childbirth. Mothers reading this devotion need no further explanation--labor pains are intense!

This simile illustrates the pain that sin causes. Both creation’s suffering and a woman’s labor pains trace back to the Curse (see Gen. 3:16). But since salvation will trump the Curse, and since labor leads to a newborn baby, this image also implies hope and life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One book that may help stimulate your thinking on the relationship between Christians and the created world is Redeeming Creation by four authors,all of whom are both believers and scientists (see also January 28).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:35-57
It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. - 1 Corinthians 15:44
TODAY IN THE WORD
Have you ever researched your family tree? Some people take this up as a hobby, spending time to find out more about their family background. They pore over local records, surf the Internet, visit the library, dig through attics or basements, interview older relatives, or return to places of family origin. They might compile the information in a book or diagram a family tree.

You don’t need photos, though, to know that family characteristics repeat themselves. “He’s got his father’s nose.” “She looks just like her great-aunt Rose did at that age.” “He has a knack for mechanical things, just like his great-grandfather did.”

Children inherit characteristics from their parents and previous generations. It’s “only natural.” In the same way, we’ll one day follow in the footsteps of the resurrected Christ. It’s “only spiritual.”

Like the rest of creation, our bodies are subject to decay, aging, and death. Redemption will change that! We’ll be resurrected with new bodies, different in quality and kind but in some way continuous with who we are now.

Paul used the picture of a seed to illustrate this (vv. 36-38). The physical body is a seed; it must die, just as a seed dies when it’s planted. Jesus had described His own life with this same metaphor (John 12:24).

When we are raised, the “fruit” will be different from the “seed” that was planted. Just as the world contains different objects, organisms, and beings, each with their own distinctive characteristics (vv. 39-41), so will our resurrection bodies be different from those we have now (vv. 42-44).

Our new bodies will last forever--no decay, no death. The bodies we walk around in now are like Adam’s, but the new ones will be like the resurrected Christ’s (vv. 20, 45-49; cf. Phil. 3:20-21). We’ll need these new bodies in order to dwell with God forever (vv. 50-54; cf. Ps. 23:6).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What will our resurrection day be like? How will it feel to exchange the physical bodies we have now for spiritual ones?