16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
John 10:16 (NIV)
Some of the stories I am most fond in reading these days have to do with retiring Military Working Dogs being reunited with a former handler, or those videos of greeting their master, a soldier or Marine returning from deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan; and lost or abducted dogs finding their way back to their “people”. Discouragement turns to joy and makes for a great video. Similarly, at a time when I can feel discouraged and lost by all the negativity in the world, I am comforted by a familiar voice. I am drawn to pastors, Biblical authors and others who recognize the same “Master’s voice” in Jesus Christ. It is why I spend time with people who have the same spiritual foundation.
This morning, friends gathered to worship together at the home of another, to watch a church service streamed by one of our local fellowship of churches and then have lunch together. Due to the potential for recent travelers to an international conference to bring COVID into our congregation, we had decided to worship this week among our small group. Because I made an error connecting to a service, we were watching a broadcast of a similarly-named though unrelated, church! Though a different church “denomination”, the pastor’s message, “In the beginning GOD was”, pointed us to Jesus present in the the opening passage of Genesis.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Genesis 1:1 -2 (NIV)
What we learn from this opening passage is confirmed by the apostle John who wrote (John 1: 1 -2) that the GOD of the Old Testament refers to himself in the plural, which John describes the deity and person of Jesus, as the WORD, existing with GOD, before everything was brought into existence. For those who may not be altogether familiar with the Bible, what we are to gain from a study of Genesis is not an answer to every possible question of origin, but introduce us to who GOD is, our humanity, what Sin is, and about Salvation. As finite physical beings, we can never grasp the infinite, but we can take comfort and sense of purpose through God’s Word.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
John 1: 1 -2 (NIV)
It's a Dog's Life 