From Genesis 3: Covered

From the first, there has always been a cost to cover human sin.

When the Man and Woman claimed the out-of-bounds fruit—when they took a bite out of God’s authority and grasped at a godlikeness all their own—their shame separated them from the Holy. How could rebels stand in His presence? Their naked transgression changed everything.

Yet God, in His mercy, chose to cover them. He spent the life of His own creation to ameliorate their shame. Blood was shed for them from the first.

Genesis 3 is, like, the tragedy. But take heart: It also figures, in the shadow of our shame, the shape of the hope to come.

God, in His mercy, would spend the life of His creation to cover our sins once and for all. Whatever creature He gave in the Garden, His Lamb would come with the Gospel.

— Tyler

(Genesis 3:21)

From Genesis 2: Dust and Breath

It’s a persistent Creation reality:

I am not much on my own.

The material is just that, just dust. But, in God’s hands and with God’s breath, the material of man is instead the image of God. His special design of humankind—indwelled with the breath of life from God—is Creation’s crowning triumph. And, for all of history onward, it is our core truth: in Him is life, and apart from Him we are nothing.

Cherish life and breath today, you who are dust. He is with you, in you—and you do nothing on your own.

— Tyler

(Gen. 2:7)

From Genesis 1: Divine Distinction

The song of Creation—the beautifully inspired history of Genesis 1—features a subtle theme.

Divine distinction.

One expanse from another. Land from water. The animal from the Image Bearer.

Light from dark.

We like to be the deciders. We like to set the boundaries. The heart of all sin traces back to humans desiring to determine right and wrong for themselves. Yet the distinction between “good” and “not” has always been God’s—and God has granted that light is good.

We, then, aim to walk in the light as He has defined it. What He has called dark—sin—has to stay there. And we don’t get to rearrange the divine distinction according to our desires!

God separated the light from the dark, and it is good…for our good.

— Tyler

(Genesis 1:4)

From Psalm 1: Righteousness or Ruin

Whenever temptation comes, I get awfully forgetful.

I forget that the world’s groupthink is antithetical to goodness. I forget just how impermanent wicked things prove to be. I forget that unrighteousness is literally ruinous.

The Word is plain:

Joy, delight, and fulfillment are found in God’s instruction. Happiness is here, in the truth. The only things in this life that endure are the ones rooted in righteousness and faithfulness.

I tend to forget that when I’m going with the world’s flow, when I’m tempted.

Let’s change that, shall we?

— Tyler

(Psalm 1)

Read the Bible with Us

When it comes to the Bible, there are two quintessential fundamentals:

It is given by God, and it is for our good.

Partner with us as we grow a daily discipline of reading, reflecting, and praying through God’s Word. In 2023, we’ll be surveying the Old Testament, using a 260-day reading guide. That’s five weekly readings—which means a little bit of grace is built in.

This page will feature (mostly) daily reflections from Tyler, Sojourn’s Lead Pastor and Elder, so you can read along with his own journal (and add a comment of your own). You can also add him on The Bible App and join a community of reading disciples there. (Tyler reads and shares from the CSB translation.)

The Bible is God’s Word. Getting into it will only ever be for your good. So download the plan, grab your preferred translation, and keep your journal ready. Let’s read the Bible together.