Discovering the Bible has led me to discover so much more of what God intended for His people. The love and grace which He extends, completely shows off His faithfulness.
Genesis, the first book in the Bible, is so full of adventure and story. This book alone leads us to see the truth of who God is and the heart that He has for His people. When God created Adam and Eve, He did this because He desired relationship with mankind. He made us in His image because He wanted us to be like Him.
Following along in the story, immediately we see a lie. That is, Satan deceives Eve of her identity in Christ. Genesis 3:1 Satan says "Did God actually say, you shall not eat of any tree in the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said "you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
In that passage alone, we can see how God didn't want His children to eat from the tree of good and evil. And that is, because we were never meant to know evil.
This leads me on to how Satan is deceiving the world today.
Eve ate from the tree because Satan told her, if you eat, you will be like God. But if we read back in the Scriptures we can see that God has already spoken her identity over her, she was made in His image. She was already like Him. If she knew her Creator, she would know her identity.
What if we stopped and believed that by being made in His image we are already like Him? Would that mean we would treat ourselves differently? Would the way we relate with God be different?
We search in different places to find fulfilment. But by being made in His image, does that not mean we are enough? This gives me a reassurance and a sense of peace to know that I don't need to look anywhere else, or do anything else. By being myself, I am walking in my identity and that brings glory to the Creator.
Christmas is upon us
I love Christmas; spending time with family, the tradition of Santa and decorating Christmas trees. It is a beautiful time of year, one that most, including myself, look forward to. The world is lit up by Christmas lights, but where is Jesus in this?
The true meaning of Christmas has been distorted and unfortunately we have let it become that. While people are organising their Christmas lunch, wrapping gifts and being with family, Jesus is more often than not, pushed to the side. Even going to church on Christmas morning can feel like a chore that we need to get passed.
However, if we can rest in that reassurance that our identity is found in Him, then our desire to want to celebrate His birth should be the centre of our lives. This includes Christmas day. Jesus is not a religious God. He does not want us to have to spend time with Him. But He desires it more than we do.
Be reminded this Christmas to celebrate and enjoy the festivities. Take rest in knowing who you are, displays a glimpse of Jesus. He is the one worth celebrating. As the old saying goes "He is the reason for the Season."
Rebecca Bowie is a young Christian who is intentionally seeking after Gods heart and striving to love people with everything. Now living in Brisbane Australia, was formerly living in London, England. She's a full-time volunteer at Youth with a Mission.
Rebecca Bowie's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/becki-bowie.html
