Genesis 2 Devotional

Formed by His Hands

“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.”Genesis 2:7 (BSB)

Genesis 2 slows down and moves in close. The God who spoke the stars into being now works with the dust of the ground, forming a man and breathing life into him (2:7). Then he plants a garden, places the man in it to work it and keep it, and gives him a clear word about the one tree to leave alone. Everything about this home is a gift: life, work, provision, and a boundary meant for his good.

Only one thing in the chapter is called not good, and that is the man being alone (2:18). God answers that need himself, making the woman and bringing her to the man, and the chapter ends with two people unashamed before each other. Before anyone had earned anything, God gave life, purpose, and companionship. Your daily work and your closest relationships were his idea first, and they can be received with gratitude instead of carried as burdens.

To think about: Which of God's gifts in this chapter, your work or the people he has placed beside you, have you been treating as a burden rather than a gift?