Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27
God was specific in how he created the earth and its inhabitants. Before creating man he set the place up for them. He created the garden, the animals, the sky, the sea and the terrain before he created man. He planned specifically to make man in His image and he did so after he created the rest of the world. Now why would he do such a thing? It’s a matter of respect. True, God could have created man, then made the world around him. True, God could have made man and the world, creating the animals last. True, God could have made all the things he made in any order that he wanted to, but he chose to make man after everything was set up. Even from the beginning, God showed us respect for our individuality, our personalities and our likeness to him. He did this knowing that we would turn away from him, knowing that we would outright reject his Love and knowing that we would not return the respect. How, when given this example of His respect for us, can we deny the same to others? Your friends, your enemies, that guy or gal that asks too many questions are all made in the likeness of God. That doesn’t mean that they are gods in themselves or that you are either, nor does it mean that they are perfect. It does mean that they are to be shown the same respect that you would like to receive from them. In that fashion our attitudes will be closer to that of God’s and in being so, we come closer to the image of God than we otherwise would be.
Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Challenge: Daily Devotions for the Common Christian”
Born Again at a young age, Micheal has often struggled with his walk with the Lord. Throughout his life he has been compared to many Biblical figures but has always felt he failed in his life and his walk with God. Being a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to many of his neurodivergent traits. Though he often argues with God, he is a firm believer in Christ Jesus and it through that faith that he continues the daily struggles he’s faced with.
He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube music, and many more places.
