The God StorySample

The First Breath

Today we are beginning a journey through the 24-7 Prayer book, The God Story, a creative retelling of the biblical story. Each day, as we unfold the narrative of Scripture, we will focus on a particular individual who encountered the unfailing love of God.

Father God, what I know of You will only ever be a fraction of who You are. Jesus, open my mind to see You and understand the Scriptures. Spirit, move my heart from familiar to fascinated until it is set ablaze with Your unfailing love.

READ: Psalm 8:3-5

Today I am reflecting on the origin story of Creation. In the beginning, out of nothing, God created everything - heaven and earth, day and night, sun and moon, sea and land, vegetation, and all kinds of animals. All of it was good. But God had saved the best part of His creation for last.

READ: Genesis 2:7-18

Over six days, God the magnificent creator has imprinted His majestic handiwork throughout the heavens and the earth. But now God is stooping down, submerging His hands into the dirt of the ground to form a human person, one who will bear God’s own image. I think of God’s breath entering Adam as he becomes a living soul - a conscious, animated being who will live forever. I imagine Adam opening his eyes for the first time and seeing the most beautiful thing he will ever see - the gaze of unfailing love in the face of His Father.

As I breathe slowly and deeply, I ask You, Father, to make me aware of Your own personal breath filling me afresh today. As You do, open the eyes of my heart to see Your loving smile, and help me to realise the truest reflection of who I am can only be grasped in the light of Your adoring gaze.

Pause and pray

I think of someone I know today who for different reasons is feeling ‘dead’ inside - void of life.

Holy Spirit, breathe on them afresh, reminding them that they are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ and helping them to experience the abundance of Your life (Psalm 139:14).

Pause and pray

The Tree of Life symbolised God’s desire for humankind to find their life in Him. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolised humankind’s pride and independence to do what seemed right in their own eyes. God, the perfect parent, laid out loving terms for His children’s lives in the garden, allowing room for exquisite wonder, exhilarating freedom, and protection from harm. God did not lay down a demand to love Him. Rather God was carrying a hope in His heart that humankind would feast on the Tree of Life, freely returning to their Father the love He had for them.

Father, thank You that You created me to find all that I would ever need in Your presence. Today help me return to my original design, feasting on Your pleasure, and expressing wholehearted trust in Your ways and Your provision.

Amen.