Daily Devotional
Humans and Animals Were Created Differently
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”
Genesis 1:26
May 26, 2023
Ponder This
Man is born and given a capacity and a craving for deity. Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image.’” And God is Spirit. Only man has a spirit. Man is made in the image of God, and the Bible says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). And the Bible says God “breathed into [our] nostrils the breath”—the spirit—“of life” (Genesis 2:7)! That makes man different from animals. With our bodies, we know the world beneath us. With our souls, we know the world around us. But with our spirits, we know the world above us. Only people are created in the image of God.
In Colossians 3:9-10, Paul talks about what happens when we get saved. He says, “You . . . have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” This image makes us moral creatures and makes us different from animals. Ephesians 4:24 says, “you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Animals don’t know righteousness. Animals don’t know holiness. We’re created in righteousness, and our new creation brings us holiness.
- How does knowing that you are made in the image of God change the way you live?
- What are some things that come to mind when you think about who you are and who you are made to be?
Practice This
Take a walk in nature and thank God for how He designed all of creation, including you.
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