Scripture
Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Psalm 8 (ESV)
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Devotional Meditation
What is the image of God? Simply this--that God made man to rule over creation as a reflection of himself. The man and the woman were God's stewards. God's ambassadors. God put them in charge of his good creation and gave them the task of caring for it on his behalf--in his stead. Not only is this true of the wider creation, but this charge also extends to the family. The man and the woman are not to rule alone, but they are to "be fruitful and multiply." They are to raise up future image-bearers who will also share in this task. One can only reflect on this for so long before conceding that the psalmist is right on to exclaim, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Why did God do it this way? Why man? Only God knows. But he did. And through the New Man, Christ, we have regained access to that image which was lost in the fall into sin. In Christ, God became man. He redeemed man. And now, through him, he has exalted man. And now we are to be imitators of Christ. To once again reflect God's image to the creation through caring for it. Through service to our fellow created beings. Through caring for and raising children. This is why we were created. And, because we have been made new in Christ, we can live this out.
Image Description (AI Prompt)
Create a warm-toned image in a 16:9 aspect ratio, featuring a man and a woman standing on the peak of a mountain, embracing the view. This scene is infused with warmth, suggesting the golden hour of sunset or the first light of dawn. The mountains in the distance are bathed in a soft, golden glow, and the drifting clouds catch the light, adding to the warmth of the scene. Above, the sky, while still holding countless stars, transitions from deep blue to warm shades of orange and pink near the horizon. The silhouettes of the man and woman are more pronounced against this warm and inviting backdrop, embodying a moment of peace and shared contemplation amidst the grandeur of nature. The overall atmosphere of the image should evoke a sense of serenity, warmth, and awe at the beauty of the universe, highlighting the shared human experience of marveling at nature's magnificence.