July 2 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

By God’s Word and Spirit the world was made, and he uses the same tools to rebuild the creaking cosmos. God does not save some souls from the wreckage of the planet; instead, the whole groaning creation must be delivered from bondage by the love and power of God.

Bible Reading:

Genesis 1:11–25

Bible Text:

And God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 21).

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Gen. 1:31).

Devotional:

God made a perfect world out of nothing: "The earth was formless and empty" (Gen. 1:2). Out of chaos God made the cosmos. God filled the vast emptiness of earth, sky, and waters with an endless variety of life.

Nobody can study all the marvels of God's creation in a lifetime, yet all of us may enjoy parts of it, use some fruits of it, and take care of some of it.

The world is good because God made it and God is good. But some days creation does not seem so good to us. Our planet has been invaded by evil powers and is now inhabited by sinful people.

Nevertheless, creation's original goodness is discernible and unforgettable. Humanity remembers a time of goodness and light that preceded the coming of darkness and dragons. We express our common remembrance in a thousand tales and nostalgic songs. In all generations the longing persists for that pristine morning when God said, "It is good. It is very good."

Humanity also shares the hope that someday all will be good again. But we must not expect a renewed world from the wrong remedy. Our only hope is that God the Creator will finish his work of redemption. On that day, when the cosmic cleanup operation is accomplished, all the world will echo the judgment of the Creator Redeemer: "This is good; this is very good."

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.