It's Why We're Here

What prompted God to make man in the first place?

He had everything. He'd already made a ton of animals to display his incredible creativity. He'd colored his Earth every imaginable hue, tossed waves into the oceans, and set the planets spinning in their orbits. So it wasn't boredom or loneliness.

It wasn't due to a lack of anything, because the very nature of God is to be all-sufficient. So what was left? Why did He want a man in His own image?

The first hint is in the first chapter of Genesis. Ever notice how involved with Adam that God continued to be? He didn't stop with bringing him to life.

Look how many verbs are used in connection with God's activity toward man: He took the man and placed him in the garden...He brought the animals to him to see what he would call them...He caused a deep sleep...

Even after the creation of Eve, God came down in the "cool of the evening" to walk and talk with them. That pokes a few holes in the Deist theory that a Supreme Creator set the world in motion and then took a long vacation.

We get a very clear picture of a doting Father, delighting in his children. He didn't need Adam to name the animals. He didn't need Adam's help to tend the garden. What he delighted in was the relationship. He continually initiated conversation and interaction with the first humans.

So what did they talk about?

Think about your prayer times. Adam had no needs, so he couldn't ask God for anything. He had not sinned, so he didn't need forgiveness. He had no desires that weren't being met, no fears, no worries. There was no one he needed to intercede for, no Aunt Agnes in the hospital, Bob Brown's knee surgery, or his cousin's step-mother's uncle who lost his house. Those are the items that usually clutter up our time with God and we call it communication.

So what did God and Adam talk about?

We have reduced the art of prayer to an information exchange, done in the quickest possible time. If we aren't begging God for something, we assume there is nothing more to discuss. How it must hurt our Heavenly Father.

I think God looked forward to those daily strolls through the garden, listening to Adam's excited chatter the way a proud parent listens to a beloved child's discovery:

"Look at that red bird, Yahweh! I haven't seen one like that yet! Wow, you are so creative!"

"Did I tell you about these luscious green balls I found yesterday? I think I'll call them grapes. I ate a whole vine full!"

"I'm re-thinking the whole hippopotamus name. Kinda long, don't you think, even though it does seem to fit."

God is a person. He can enjoy, take delight, find humor, and look forward to things just like we can. He delighted in simply spending time with this created being that He loved like His own Son without prayer requests, bargaining, or angry demands.

And God doesn't change. He still likes it. He enjoys spending time with his children, watching us discover the mysteries He's hidden on the globe for us to find. Hearing our excited chatter as we seek Him out to share it with Him.

How much enjoyment are you giving God?
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