Monday Devotional: The Best Almost-Kiss by Guest-Author Barbara Britton

Today I want to extend a welcome to author Barbara Britton! She’s written today’s devotional, and at the end of the post, you can learn a little about Barbara and her new book, Jerusalem Rising!

God’s Word never ceases to amaze me. Each week I attend a Bible study and delve into Scripture. My busy life tempts me to give up the weekly ritual with worries that I need the time for other things, but nothing is more important than spending time with God. And all those tasks I worry about seem to get done anyway.

This week our group studied the Creation account in the book of Genesis. I was overwhelmed with how intimate our God was in creating man. Now, you may think that creating Adam from dust wasn’t very catching, though if you read on, you see in Genesis 2:7 that God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

How close was God to Adam? Close enough for breath to enter Adam’s nose.  You could say God entered Adam’s personal space with an almost-kiss. That almost-kiss gave Adam life and the ability to have a relationship with God. Where would we be without a personal relationship the Almighty? I lived the early years of my life as a non-believer pondering the meaning of life and it left me hoping there was more than daily chores and dying. And there is! How blessed I am to know Jesus (John 3:16).

Our God doesn’t end with His almost-kiss awesomeness. He sees Adam is alone and in need of companionship. Fashioned from Adam’s rib comes woman. Both Adam and Eve are created in the image of God. We see this stated in Genesis 1:27 and also in 1:26. The neatness about verse 26 is that we see the Trinity right out of the gate. “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and 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.” Those pronouns are easy to miss but they hold a ton of theology. We see the Trinity in the very first sentence of the Bible, too, “In the beginning God (Elohim)…” Elohim is plural as a noun.

God rested on the seventh day of Creation (Gen 2:2). God also wants us to rest. We see that in the Fourth Commandment. It came up in my Bible study that nurses and first responders have to work on Sundays. The key is to find other time to rest and worship God. God wants to have a relationship with us. God also cares that we get a break from the disorder of the world.

How easy it is to read Genesis, chapter 1, and think of what God created on which day (I still mix that up) and miss how much love God has for us. Are you feeling God’s love? Remember His almost-kiss and that you were created in His image. God wants you to experience rest in this life and have the promise of everlasting life with Him.

Being reminded of God’s “details” in His Word means I will be making time for my weekly Bible study for years to come.

Barb’s Bio:

Barbara M. Britton lives in Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She writes Christian Fiction for teens and adults where she enjoys bringing little-known Bible stories to light in her Tribes of Israel series. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. She is published with Harbourlight Books an imprint of Pelican Book Group.

You can find out more about Barb and her books on her website www.barbarambritton.com.

 

Book blurb for Jerusalem Rising:

When Adah bat Shallum finds the governor of Judah weeping over the crumbling wall of Jerusalem, she learns the reason for Nehemiah’s unexpected visit—God has called him to rebuild the wall around the City of David.

Nehemiah challenges the men of Jerusalem to labor on the wall and in return, the names of their fathers will be written in the annals for future generations to cherish. But Adah has one sister and no brothers. Should her father who rules a half-district of Jerusalem be forgotten forever?

Adah bravely vows to rebuild her city’s wall, though she soon discovers that Jerusalem not only has enemies outside of the city, but also within. Can Adah, her sister, and the men they love, honor God’s call? Or will their mission be crushed by the same rocks they hope to raise.

Thanks for joining us, Barbara, and God bless, readers!