Day 1 :)

A friend once mentioned a great analogy that stuck with me when I heard it. In the solar system, there is the Sun, and the planets are constantly moving around this central thing. In the same way, God is a constant. He doesn't change and nor does His love for us. In reading the New Testament and Old Testament concurrently, I believe that it is important to keep this in mind. I challenge you to see and understand how God's mercy and grace was, has always, and forever more will be present and constant.


In Matthew, I was touched when I read the beginning of this "Christmas story." I am inspired by Joseph's faith in God. His faith and action to back up his faith are amazing. He "did not know" Mary until she brought forth a son. Yet, he trusted God and acted on his spiritual guidance.

In Genesis, we see God was here before all else. It makes sense, then that He should be the center of our universe. In the beginning, "the Earth was without form and void." Yet, God's presence brought life and light. God called everything He made good. God makes no mistakes. When I read Genesis 1, it gave me goosebumps to think that the things we see day to day were made by God. The stars, plants and animals, people (who are all made in the image of God), thunder, and all naturally occurring things were spoken into existence by God. We should be thankful and appreciative of the simple things around us we take for granted. When we see things God created, it should awaken us to the tangible evidence that He is here.

Concerning God's mercy and love, Chapter 2 begins the story of Adam and Eve. I think that for one, it is amazing that in the very beginning of the Bible, the foundations for marriage are already being brought up. God blesses us with this gift and many others that should be treasured. In addition to blessing us with this, God also gives us choices. This falls into the category of love and mercy. In the story, although the serpent was very "cunning," Eve was also very compromising. She made herself feel better about eating from the tree God instructed her not to eat from. We must be strong and bold in our faith. Although God punishes Adam and Eve, we must also see His constant mercy and grace. He gave Adam and Eve a choice--just like He constantly gives us choices. He gives us discernment to distinguish "good" and "bad," but He wants us to choose who and what we will follow.