This episode starts a new season on the Well Soul Podcast as we walk through the Story of the Gospel by drinking in select passages in all 66 books of the Bible.
It is my heart that whether you are new to meditating on Scripture or have been reading through the Bible for years, this journey of Scripture meditation and reflection will help you soak in the beauty and depth of who God is. I also hope you encounter a new perspective on the power of the Gospel as we drink in passages in all 66 books of the Bible together.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with questions or reflections. You can reach me on Instagram @Wellsoulpodcast or on the website.
TODAY'S PASSAGE
We begin the Story of the Gospel with a series called, "Creation and Fall."
This week's episode overviews Genesis Chapter 1 and then we slowly meditate on the creation of humanity.
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Welcome to the Well Soul Podcast, where we pause to drink and scripture, reflect and pray. I am your host, Seana Scott, and sometimes life leaves our souls feeling parched, so come to the well of living water that never runs dry.
Today we start a journey together called the Story of the Gospel.
Gospel means good news and God's story is a good news story, but it is more important than, "Jesus loves me, this I know." Through the story of the Bible with all the ancient peoples and mysterious sacrifices, through the exiles and return of God's people —to the coming of Jesus, and now to our faith in God's past and hope for what is coming—we see the story of this good news in full color.
It is my heart that whether you are new to meditating on Scripture or have been reading the Bible for years, this journey of Scripture, meditation and reflection will help you soak in the beauty and depth of who God is. I also hope you encounter a new perspective on the power of the gospel as we drink in passages in all 66 books of the Bible together.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with questions or reflections. You can reach me on Instagram. @ WellSoulPodcast or on the website,
Our first series in the Story of the Gospel is Creation and the Fall. We will spend several weeks on just the first three chapters of the Bible because this is the foundation for the rest of the story of the Gospel, where beauty and goodness were marred by sin and death. But where we see the offering of hope and the foreshadowing of God's provision through redemption, through sacrifice.
Welcome to the Story of the gospel,
The Story of the Gospel begins where all good stories start—in the beginning, in Genesis chapter one.
God speaks the world and everything in it into existence. It was not, and then it was.
He hung up the millions of stars in the heavens, crafted the land and the seas, and then started to fill these spaces with awe inspiring creatures in detail. He designed the exoskeleton of a lobster, the white plumage hat of a cockatoo and the strength of the sequoia tree. The sky teamed with birds, the seas with swimming creatures and castles of coral reefs. The land was filled with wonders, like mountain caverns and snowy ice caps. God's work was good.
The Hebrew word in Genesis for good is tove, meaning satisfying to one's sense, beautiful and right in all ways.
And then we come to day six of creation where God fashioned all the creatures of the land, like the hopping kangaroos and swinging monkeys and jittering lightning bugs. Then God formed humans.
We pick up our Bible meditation and reflection today at the creation of the first pair of humans, male and female.
Before I read, take a moment to breathe in and prepare your mind to listen to God's word.
Come Holy Spirit, come. Wash us in your word.
Genesis 1:26-31 (NIV)
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
What did the Holy Spirit point out to you? Meditate on this for a moment.
Humanity was set apart from all other creatures God created because we are made in his image. That is, we are given rule and dominion over caring for creation to make from what God has made and to fill the earth with caretakers, fellow imagers of God through the blessing of the union of a man and woman.
God saw that this was very good. We are the very good of God's creation before the mar of sin. This is how we were in the beginning, unified whole. I'm going to reread a few verses one more time. Listen for what the Holy Spirit wants you to notice.
Genesis 1 26 to 28 and verse 31.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
verse 31
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
What did you notice this time?
Take a moment to pray about what you heard in the passage or anything else the spirit brings to mind.
Let's pray.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, one and only true God, we worship you. Thank you for this account through the hand of Moses to tell us how you created the world. You spoke. And it came to be. Thank you, God, for the first male and female made in your image. We worship you for your good creation.
In Jesus's name a Amen.
Thank you for joining me today on the Well Soul Podcast for our creation and fall series as part of our Story of the Gospel journey. You can subscribe to the Well Soul community and receive encouragement and resources to live with a well soul directly in your inbox. See the link in the show notes to join us for free.
Like what you hear on the podcast? You can help support the production of the podcast by visiting buymeacoffee.com/wellsoulpodcast. For the cost of a cup of coffee, you can help others drink in Scripture, reflect and pray. Visit buymeacoffee.com/wellsoulpodcast or see the link in the show notes.
In closing, I'd like to thank my late friend Brian Vasquez, who made this podcast possible. God bless you, and I pray that you have a well soul.