F O O T H O L D
READING
13 GOD'S PLANS
PRAY Allglorious King, my
'maker,defender, redeemer and friend', help
me to worship you today.
READ Genesis 2:525.
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 (817). 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 (1825).
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.
