“This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
‘I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.'” Isaiah 42:5-7
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God… separated the light from the darkness…
“And God said, ‘Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it… God called the vault ‘sky…’
“And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters he called ‘seas…’
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over… all the creatures…”
“So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:1-4,6-7,9-10,26-27
The majestic, uncontainable God created all things great and small, and designed His grand world to support and supply for every minutiae of His people and kingdom plan. From the vastness of day and night to the cry of a sinner’s plight, He is over all and knows all and nothing can thwart His good will. He who called the world into being also calls individuals to saving faith and holy purpose. (Job 42:2; Isaiah 46:10; Romans 8:28)
In our vast and frenzied world, we can feel insignificant, without direction, without purpose. People with big jobs, many resources, and loud voices seem to squelch the small, the reticent, the uncertain. Large mountains of fear and doubt loom and cast a shadow over what we thought were possibilities of places to belong. But the Lord God who made them all has plans for each, and will lead His people as we listen and act. He works to coordinate and complement, so the macro and micro synch together to fulfill His divine intentions.
Where exactly do I belong? A specific place of service may be mine to explore, but it’s clear God’s arranged my life for me to shine light for the blind, radiate Christ’s hope and affirm meaning to those who lack. As God’s image-bearer, declared righteous by Christ, I’m to set free the bound and build up the broken. Large scale or small, this is our call, and can be answered anywhere the Lord places us. As I step out in willing obedience, the Lord will open doors He’s prepared for me. (Acts 17:26-27; Ephesians 2:10)
Where will I purposefully reflect light today? Who at home or work or my community needs encouragement, hope, freedom, a larger, higher view of God? How will I honor Him in great or small ways this day?
Lord, help me fulfill Your call, magnifying Your image, to Your glory.
As the rain and snow 