Devotional - Mar. 5, 2025
Scripture: Genesis 2: 7-9 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Today is Ash Wednesday. I remember a comic in the Sunday paper once where the question was asked, what happens when we die? The answer was, why worry, you only die once. You live every day. You should be more interested and involved in that. I thought that made a lot of sense. But even when we do focus on our life, usually it's on our life in relation to something like our past or our future. Some stressor we are dealing with or in anticipation of a future event, good or bad. I like today's text because there is only One and then two characters in it. There is the LORD God and the man. It all started there. God is referred to as the LORD God, the GREAT I AM and Elohim (All- Powerful) combined and then there is the man, a handful of soil. God forms the soil into a figure and then breathes into it, bringing it to life. The very same God who fills us with the Spirit (which in Hebrew can be translated as breath). When we take a minute and just focus on this concept, this scene. And then, we think that we spend most of our time worrying, fretting, angry, avoiding, bored, and the list goes on. That figurine God made from the soil running around all worked up, worrying, and frustrated. The two scenes dont go together. At some point today, take one deep breath, really deep. Just one, but make it a good one. And then settle into it remembering from whence it came. Then, take a second one, and be very aware of God's presence when you do it. Then one more, being very aware of you and God, just you and God. Know that God loves, understands, and cares about you. Always has, ever since the beginning, and always will.
Pray with me..., Holy God this world, this life, can consume us. The could or should of's can be overwhelming. This day, we set that aside and just rest in You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
