13 GOD F O O T ================================
- H O L D
READING
13 GOD’S PLANS
PRAY All-glorious King, my ‘maker,defender, redeemer and friend’, help me to worship you today. —————————————————————– READ Genesis 2:5-25. —————————————————————– THINK What does this passage teach us about God’s care and concern for people? In what ways have you experienced his care recently? —————————————————————– FOCUS This section looks at creation from a different point of view from chapter 1. There human beings were seen as the climax. Now the focus moves on to God’s plan for people within his creation. A PERFECT PLACE (8-17). Look at some of the features of this garden. Food and drink (9,10), beauty (9), mineral wealth (12), fertility (9) – all good gifts from God. People were meant to enjoy his world. The man wasn’t simply to enjoy all this in idleness. He had work to do. Work is another gift from God. It should stretch us and give us a sense of achievement. Work is not simply gainful employment, but there is something wrong when large numbers of people are unemployed, and when work becomes repetitive and unsatisfying. As employment patterns change, we must find new ways of ‘working’. A PERFECT PARTNER (18-25). People are made to communicate – to give and receive love. God did not – and does not – intend people to be lonely and isolated. Marriage is one way in which we find this companionship – but the joys that marriage was given to bring do not come automatically. Each partner has to be prepared to make certain sacrifices, break with old patterns and be totally committed to the other (24). Marriage is not God’s only answer to loneliness (John 14:23; Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:11). —————————————————————— PRAY Think of all those who are unemployed or whose jobs give little sense of satisfaction. Especially talk to God about people you know who are in this situation, including yourself if you are one. ==========