Genesis 1:26-28. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
The greatest blessing of all is to be with God, who created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). He is the God who replaced formlessness, emptiness, and darkness with His eternal light (Genesis 1:2–3).
God spoke the universe into existence. Through His Word, all things were made; the Word is God (John 1:1–3). God’s Word gives life to the lifeless (Ezekiel 37:1–14), and His Word is living and active, able to heal the soul, spirit, mind, and body (Hebrews 4:12).
God’s Word is eternal (Isaiah 40:8), and everything He has spoken has been and will be fulfilled (Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 5:17–18). God answers our prayers through His Word (John 15:7). His Word brings revival and transformation to a dying world (Acts 19:20).
God’s creation extends to the entire universe, to all living creatures, and especially to mankind. Just as fish were created to live in the water, birds to fly in the air, and trees to grow with roots in the ground, mankind was made to be with God—the only true source of happiness.
God created people as spiritual beings in order to have an intimate relationship with them: “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” (Genesis 2:7).
He created them uniquely in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). In fact, He made them a little lower than Himself and crowned them with glory and honor. He made them rulers over the works of His hands and placed everything under their feet (Psalm 8:5–6).
God blessed them with incredible authority and potential to be fruitful and increase in number, to fill the earth, subdue it, and rule over it (Genesis 1:28). To enjoy this relationship with God, along with their status and authority, God gave them a covenant (Genesis 2:17).
The covenant was meant to remind them of who God is, how they were created, how deeply He loved them, and how they were to continue enjoying true life and spiritual power. We were created to love God and worship Him alone.
Tragically, deceived by Satan—who had lost his place in heaven (Revelation 12:8)—mankind had the audacity to say “no” to the covenant God had given (Genesis 3:1–7).
This was the beginning of the devil’s work that would consume the entire human race: sin entered the world, and through sin, death (Romans 5:12), leading to eternal separation from God.
Since that time, Satan has taken over the spirit, soul, mind, and body of every person, forcing them to follow the ways of the world and his influence (Ephesians 2:1–3). His favorite traps have always been self-centeredness (Genesis 3:4–5), materialism and worldly pleasure (Genesis 6:4–5), and pride and worldly success (Genesis 11:1–8), ultimately dragging all of humanity into formlessness, emptiness, and darkness.
But compelled by His great love, grace, and mercy, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus—as the True King to destroy the devil’s work (1 John 3:8), as the True Priest to pay the price for our sins (Mark 10:45), and as the True Prophet to restore our broken relationship with God (John 14:6). Jesus came to finish the work of the Christ—the Anointed One. He came as the true light to remove the root cause of all formlessness, emptiness, and darkness (John 1:4–9).
When you realize, believe, and confirm that Jesus is the Christ, you will finally discover the “you” God made. You will no longer fear the power of the enemy. You will no longer live under guilt and shame. You will no longer wander, searching for a way back to God.
You will stop comparing yourself with others. You will begin to understand the meaning behind everything that happened in your life. You will become thankful for the people God has placed around you and be confident that He will turn all things into a blessing.
Invite Jesus to the throne of your life as your True King. Cling to Jesus, your True Priest, when you fall. Follow Jesus, your True Prophet, on your covenant journey home.
Stop focusing on, chasing after, or settling for the things of the world. Ask God to open your eyes to see the greatest blessing of all: being with Him. In Christ, you will find everything—your identity, your authority, and your future.
The world is waiting for the Good News that Jesus is the Christ. Now go. Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth, subdue it, and rule. Spread the Good News and save lives.
Prayer. Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Come to the center of my life as my True King. Help me with my weaknesses as my True Priest. Take me along with You as my True Prophet on my covenant journey. I declare that I will not be afraid of all the power of the enemy because my True King, Jesus, lives in me. I declare I will not be trapped in guilt and shame any longer because my True Priest, Jesus, destroyed the power of sin. I declare I will not be lost again because my True Prophet, Jesus, is with me now and until the end of the age. In Your mighty name, Amen.