Daily Devotional

Growing up, one of the biggest questions I wrestled with was, “Why are we all here?” I grew up in a Christian home, but the pain and suffering I saw in the world—and experienced in my own life—sometimes made me question the point of it all. Did God truly care enough to create me and send His Son to die for me so that I could have a relationship with Him? I am thankful that Scripture answers yes. God did not create us because He was lonely or needed something from us. He created us out of the abundance of who He is: God is love.

The Bible begins with a simple but powerful statement: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Before anything else existed, God was already there. The story of creation—and the story of our lives—begins with Him.

Throughout Genesis 1, several phrases are repeated: “And God said,” “and it was so,” and “God saw that it was good.” These words show us that God created everything with authority, order, and goodness. He did not make the world carelessly or randomly. He intentionally prepared a place where life could flourish.

Again and again, God looked at what He had made and called it good. After creating humanity, He declared everything “very good.” Although sin would later bring pain and brokenness into the world, Genesis reminds us that evil was not part of God’s original design. God created a good world because He is a good God.

The greatest part of creation was humanity. Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created man in his own image.” (ESV) Being made in God’s image does not mean that we physically look like God. It means that human beings were uniquely created to know Him, represent Him, relate to others, and care for His creation.

This gives every person incredible value. Our worth does not come from our intelligence, popularity, appearance, abilities, or what others think about us. It comes from the God who created us. Every person bears His image—including the person who feels invisible, the person who looks different from us, and even the person who frustrates us.

Being made in God’s image also gives us responsibility. God calls us to care for what He has made and represent His character in the way we live. That affects how we speak, treat our families, respond to hurting people, and handle the responsibilities He gives us.

Sin damaged our relationship with God, but He did not abandon us. Jesus came, died for our sins, and rose again so that everyone who trusts in Him can be forgiven and welcomed into God’s family. The cross is the clearest demonstration that the God who created us also loves us and desires for us to know Him.

Genesis 1 teaches us that we are not random, forgotten, or without purpose. We were created to know God, represent Him, care for what He has made, and share His goodness with others. Whenever we question our worth or wonder why we are here, we can return to this truth: Our lives make the most sense when God is at the center.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.