GOD'S DESIRE FOR SELF EXTENSION

"Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Genesis 1:26, NKJV)

Devotion 3 of 10

MADE TO HAVE DOMINION

The Lord created "male and female" in His own image. Together, they comprise His likeness, with each accentuating different aspects of His Person. The Lord would "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." This is our very first introduction to God's purpose, or objective, for mankind. It is a large purpose, involving "rule" or dominion.

The extent of the rule is staggering. It is "over all the earth." It includes "the sea," "the air," and "the ground." It is God's world, but He made man to rule it! Man is the extension of God. The sea, air, and ground belong to God--He made them (Psa 24:1). Yet, man is the appointed governor over them. He is the extension of God. Everything in the sea, air, and land have been made by the Lord. They belong to Him--yet man has charge over them all. He is the extension of God.

At this time, however, everything is not in the control of man. He cannot control the wind or the rain, the heat or the cold, the tide of the change of seasons. He cannot cause the ground to be productive without working. The beasts of the earth do not naurtally obey men. hey must be tamed, and some of them cannot be tamed. Men are not yet experiencing dominion over all that God has made.

When Jesus provided Peter with money for taxes, He simply called for a fish to bring it up in his mouth (Matthew 17:27). I would not advise you to attempt to do the same. You might even try to curse a fig tree, causing it to die (Matthews 21:19-20), or walk upon the water (Matthews 14:26). A few attempts like this will confirm to you that nature cannot be governed by you now--even though humanity was made to do so.

The word of God says it this way. "You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet. In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him"(Hebrews 2:7-8). The purpose of God has not been overturned, even though it is not presently being realized by us. Neither, indeed, has the objective for mankind been abandoned. The end is not yet, praise the Lord!

PRAYER POINT: Father, in Jesus' name, help me to live by faith in anticipation of the dominion to be realized in the world to come.

-- TOMORROW: YET ONCE MORE --