Welcome to Coffee with Christ. I’m Nikol Jones and you are listening to episode 2.
If you’re new here, you might want to go back and listen to the Introduction episode, so you can get the gist of what this podcast is all about and my hope for our time together.
I truly believe God’s word changes people. It changes them verse by verse and chapter by chapter. It is a magnificent and marvelous thing these ancient words that are written for us and have stood the test of time.
Since this is new to everyone – including me – here are some reminders. We’ll start with a few minutes of silence to help you slow down, settle in, clear the clutter, and breathe.
I read from the New Living Translation and you can follow along in your Bible, but my hope is that you’ll just listen because that is how God’s people heard it when it was brand new.
If you need more time to think about something you heard, just hit the pause button and take your time. At the end, I’ll guide you through another set of questions to help you ponder the passage more.
Occasionally, I might write something about what I learned during my time with God. You can find those thoughts on coffeewithchrist.org. I’ll put a link in the show notes in case you’re interested.
Now, take a deep breath.
Seriously, take a deep breath.
And let’s get started by being still.
What is stirring in your heart today? What has your mind in a flutter? Use the next few minutes to jot them down or say them out loud to God. Ask him to shift your focus from these things, to Him.
Yesterday, we read through Genesis chapter 1. We saw God create everything – well almost everything.
He created light and night,
the heavens and the earth,
the sun, moon, and the stars.
He created time and seasons.
He created the sky and the dry ground, and everything that lives on and in them:
the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air,
animals,
and He created human beings.
He created an order to things and even though he could have created all things in one glorious day, He paced Himself over six. And He saw that it was all very good.
Genesis 2
So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested* from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
4 This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.
The Man and Woman in Eden
When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. 6 Instead, springs* came up from the ground and watered all the land. 7 Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.
8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. 9 The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flowed from the land of Eden, watering the garden and then dividing into four branches. 11 The first branch, called the Pishon (Pee-Shon), flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found. 12 The gold of that land is exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. 13 The second branch, called the Gihon (Ji-hON), flowed around the entire land of Cush. 14 The third branch, called the Tigris, flowed east of the land of Asshur (Assur). The fourth branch is called the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 19 So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man* to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. 20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs* and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
23 “At last!” the man exclaimed.
“This one is bone from my bone,
and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken from ‘man.’ ”
24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
May God bless the reading and hearing of His word.
As we listened to more details about the creation of human beings, male and female, in God’s image. And as we heard about God creating and observing rest. What came to mind? Did anything stick out to you? Did anything surprise you?
What did you learn about God in this passage? Use this time to praise Him for who is and what you just learned.
Think back to all those that had your mind in a flutter. Now think about what you learned about God. Is there anything that can change your outlook either of Him or of your circumstance in light of this? Tell Him or write them out in a prayer.
As you reflect on your life in light of God’s character? How do you think He wants you to respond? It is OK if you don’t know right this second. Ask Him to show you and keep your eyes and ears open through the day ahead for Him to teach you.
To ease yourself back into your day, be quiet again. The world will wait just a few more minutes.
I hope you enjoyed this second episode of Coffee with Christ. If you are still finding it awkward to be still and think through all of these questions, you are not alone and it is a discipline that comes with time.
If you did enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll pass it along to your friends. It would be such an encouragement to me – but more importantly for future listeners – if you would leave a comment about the podcast on whatever platform you are listening. Not only does it make my day, but it will help others find it as well.
Have a wonderful day and be sure to join me tomorrow for our next episode.