It wasn’t enough to give the earth light, to stretch out land and fill our sky with the sun, moon and stars… God wasn’t done yet.
In today’s reading in Genesis, so far God has:
Created light and changed the darkness on Day 1.
Separated sky from water on Day 2.
Created dry land and plants and created seas on Day 3.
Created the sun, moon, and stars and placed them intentionally in the sky on Day 4.
And then we come to Day 5.
God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” God created the great sea creatures and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” There was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day. –Genesis 1:20-23
I love how God created our world. Each day in His creation story seems to get better and better. I try to imagine I’m reading the creation story for the first time, asking, “I wonder what the next day will hold. I wonder what God will think of next!”
On Day 5 we see that God intentionally filled what He created. Once the sky and seas were created, He filled them. It wasn’t enough to just have beautiful skies, God went a step further and created birds to fill our skies, again pointing to His endless creativity. It wasn’t just one kind of bird, it was many different kinds. We see the same for the animals in the sea. It wasn’t one kind of fish or whale or dolphin but it was all sorts of different kinds of aquatic animals. We see from Day 5 that God loves variety and takes pleasure in His work.
Verse 22 uses the word “blessed” and, thankfully, it’s not the last time. Not only did God create the beautiful birds in the sky and creatures in the sea but He took His delight in them a step further and blessed them. He didn’t want His creation to end after the first generation, He wanted them to continue. He wanted them to multiply and fill the space He set them in for His glory because He knew what was just around the corner.
We see a glimpse in Job 39:26-27. The beauty and handiwork of God seen through His creation is evident in the birds and animals found in our skies and waters. They each give testimony to God’s wisdom. It is God who has imparted wisdom to His creation as they fulfill His command to multiply and fill the earth. It is God’s wisdom that He has given them the knowledge of how to fly, how to migrate, and how to survive. And through His wisdom, we are encouraged and marvel at His genius.
God is good and what He creates He delights in. The same goes for you, too.
The next time you feel your faith is small, look up and see how God created each of the birds that share the sky. Marvel at their creation and the creativity it took God to make each and every kind of them. Pay attention to the wisdom God has given them and realize He imparts wisdom to you as well.
As you see God’s tenderness and provision from the very beginning of what He creates, realize that He has taken that same care and more when He created you.
Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?- Matthew 6:26
We may not always understand God’s plan but when we look at the beautiful details listed in the creation story, we can see that what God creates is good and He delights in His creation.
Love God Greatly!
