Today’s Scripture Meditation:  Genesis 1:27:  "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

In the Old Testament Lexical Aids, the word for image in this passage is Selem.  Selem does not signify an exact duplicate, but only the shadow of a thing, representing the original in an imprecise manner and lacking the essential characteristics of the original.  It signifies a spiritual, intellectual and moral likeness.

If you’ve ever thought you weren’t respected, if you’ve ever thought you were worthless or useless or just not important, take a look at this scripture again. 

God thought so highly of you, He created you to be just like Him.  Not physically as God (the Father) does not have a human form, but we share in God’s nature.  We have the ability to share His character of love, forgiveness, being kind, being faithful, having truth, wisdom, holiness and (insert your own knowledge of God’s character _________).

Knowing we are made in God’s image should be enough for us to understand our own self-worth.  When we put ourselves down or when we put someone else down, we are criticizing what God has made.  Human worth is not based on this world’s idea of worth, but on God’s idea of worth…and that is a very high standard.  Hold your head high because you stand in good company.

Today’s prayer:  Praise God now for His likeness in you.  Ask Him how you can lift someone up today with a kind word or action.

Intercessory prayer for:  Pray today for orphans who may not have a sense of who they are.

Worship song for the day:  Rebecca St. James – Mirror

"Let the words of my mouth please you dear God

May the thoughts of my heart be as Yours

Cause all that I desire is to be here with You forever

Lord I pray- I pray that You

Take me- Make me beautiful to You

Create me – so I mirror You

Take me – Make me an image of You

Lord I want to mirror You"

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