So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 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.
Genesis 1:27-28 NIV
Let’s imagine that you’ve started a new job, and your boss says to you, “We are so glad that you are here. Our organizational goal is to work you really hard to get the most out of you for the company’s benefit.” Now, how much better would that first day of the job be for you if you heard this instead: “We’re so glad that you’re here, and our personal goal is to make sure that we give you everything that you need to grow and succeed, and we hope that you are happy here for many years.”
In chapter one of Genesis, God creates Adam and Eve in a special way. Beyond creating Adam and Eve in His image, the first thing that He does is bless them. Before He tells them to be fruitful and increase and subdue and rule, He blesses them.
The importance of this blessing cannot be overlooked. This blessing remains a common thread throughout the first five books of the Bible. When the people of Israel are standing before huge armies, they know that they will be victorious because they have received the blessing of God, who says He will never leave them or forsake them.
It is important for us to understand that God’s motive is to bless Adam and Eve before releasing them into the earth without the divine covering a blessing from God provides. The very first thing God does when He welcomes us as His children, is bless us. And, before he expects anything of us, He blesses us, and, it is this divine blessing that gives us the capacity to carry out His commands.
We may believe that in order to experience God, we must somehow first be called to experience Him. But, experiencing God doesn’t start with a calling. It doesn’t start with an assignment or expression of divine expectation. God doesn’t start His relationship with us by first commanding us to do something that will somehow benefit Him. God starts His relationship with us with a precious gift.
No matter our situation, history, or upbringing, as children of God, we carry His blessing, and it is a blessing that no one, not even Satan, can take away from us.
