Genesis 1:9-19 (NRSV)
Read Genesis 1:9-19 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. Verse 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Verse 11Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. Verse 12The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. Verse 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
Verse 14And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, Verse 15and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it was so. Verse 16God made the two great lights-the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night-and the stars. Verse 17God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, Verse 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. Verse 19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
Devotion
Creation, which began yeaterday, continues today. We live in God's world where there is water, dry land, plants, animals, sun, moon and stars. And God said they are all good. It would be good if we regarded them as God's gifts and not as our private preserve. Because the light of Christ shines on all that is, seen and unseen, we are called to be stewards in God's garden, lost in grace not greed.
Prayer
God in heaven and earth, there is more above, around and within than we can ever fathom. May we, your creatures, come to realize that to care for what you have given us is what you have called us to do. Amen.