He Made It Home For Us

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place…  Let the earth sprout vegetation…  Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens…”  And God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night…  And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.  Genesis 1:9-17  ESV

I think of the homes we have purchased over the years.  When we toured each of them with a realtor, we either liked a feature or disliked it, according to what would be ideal for certain members of the family.  When we saw our first kitchen, it was large and with an island, and immediately we knew it would accommodate the cooking I like to do.  Now, years later, there are pictures to prove it.  Both of our kids, at different times, were perched on the island helping me make something.  A spatula in their hand and a smudged face revealed what they were licking.

This is what we do when we buy a home.  A certain bedroom will be ideal because it gets morning sun, or because it’s near the bathroom, or perhaps it’s large enough for a certain piece of furniture.  We picture our things, and our loved ones, in that space and think, “Yes, this was made for them!”        

God did the same with Earth.  He made it for us.  Before He created Adam, He held the Earth in His hands and mused what it would require to make this place home for those He loved.  He knew we’d need to breathe, that we’d need water to drink and saltwater suitable for the aquatic world.  We’d need nighttime for rest and daytime for work and pleasure.  Divine omniscience was the architect of it all and the One who then had the power to create everything He imagined.

When He was finished, He said, “This is good.”  Surely it resembled what we say when we make a place our home, paint the walls, re-arrange the space, move in our belongings, and then stand and behold it with satisfaction.  We realize that it’s just right. It’s just as we imagined it would be.

After the sixth day, God created mankind.  Ah, this was the point of it all in the first place. 

When my roses bloom, when I grill fish for dinner, when the warmth of the sun warms my world, I realize again how personal You are.  You made the earth and though we have polluted Your planet, You will touch it and make it new again one day.  Once again, just right for us, for eternity.  Amen