Thought for the Day

Verse 19-20 - Today, as he has throughout history, man desires to know the origin of himself and the earth. Scripture states that the Lord God, in unsearchable wisdom, created the earth and all the galaxies, and that it was He who created man. The first chapter of Genesis tells us that God created first heaven, then the earth. In the following order, He made light, day and night, space, matter, energy, and time, along with the plants and animals, and His crowning creation: man and woman.

When I read this account, I appreciate the organization and order that is a part of God's wisdom, for it strikes me that everything was done in precisely the right order. First, God created the heavens and earth; then light and the cycle of day and night. Then He made the expanse and divided the waters. Next, He gathered the seas together, caused dry land to appear, and created vegetation on the earth, which must have light to grow. Then He created the sun, the moon and the stars. After that came the sea creatures and the birds; and then the land animals, which need vegetation to feed upon. Finally, He created man to rule over all He had made. In creating the sun, the moon and the planets, God set them in orbits so that they would not collide with each other. They rotate with exact precision and astronomers can calculate their alignments at any given time. This is but one example of the intricacy and orderliness of creation. The universe is full of visible evidence of God's wisdom.

We should pray for wisdom to know God's proper order for accomplishing His purposes in our lives. We may feel we have heard the Lord tell us to do something, as He is certainly calling people to serve Him at this hour, but we must know His plan, as well as His call. God's pattern is to call us to be before He calls us to do. Many babes in Christ are zealous to go into full-time ministry, but are unprepared for the task. Paul said of the Jews "they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:2). Faith and preparation should precede works. We must apply to our lives the knowledge of God's Word, which requires some time, before we can be effective ministers for Him. Real ministry flows from what Christ is doing in us, not from what we are trying to do for Him. We render a greater service through our "being" than through our "doing." It is a greater honor to be called to be something than to do something. True ministry is a natural part of our relationship with Jesus Christ. It naturally spills over onto others.