Then the Lord God formed a man[c]from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. (Genesis 2:7, 8)
I am sitting in a chair.
That chair started as an idea in someone’s head. That idea might have lead someone to draw it out and then gather the materials to put the drawing into reality. When it was made it was put to use and being fit for use.
Today there’s a great deal made out of autonomy. I have the ability to do what I want to do. What I read in the narrative of man in the second chapter of Genesis is how he is formed by by man and then put in the place God made for Him and given purpose by the breath and the word of God.
It might sound a bit demeaning to consider yourself as God’s chair, but in actuality knowing there is meaning and purpose in your life is designed to be the most liberating thing of all. Knowing that you are formed – intricately put together, formed deliberately, shaped with intention – that is set to be the most enriching experience.
In a world marked by brokenness, it’s often easy to miss that and look at the fractures. How can the God who formed man explain disability mental and physical? How can I believe I am formed when I am so broken?
Perhaps, however, the journey for us is not so much just complaining at the brokenness, but returning to the one who formed us to receive healing. Returning to the one who not only formed us but gives us meaning by His breath and His Word.
That’s what I get from my chair, anyway.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 