You Were Created “Very Good”
Explore what it means to be created very good by God and how Genesis reveals the truth about our worth, purpose, and identity in Christ.
Many nights I find myself lying awake in bed. It’ll be 3:33 a.m., and I’ll be spending quality time with my Amazon wish list. And as much as I hope I won’t need the sleep that has escaped me, the morning alarm is so unforgiving. Morning comes anyway, unforgiving and bright, and I’m left with a choice before my feet even hit the floor: will I give thanks for this new breath I didn’t choose, or will I let the exhaustion set the tone for the whole day?
To understand where we’re headed, it helps first to understand where we started.
Knowing Where You Came From
Here’s something true about me: I have a terrible sense of direction. It doesn’t take much for me to get turned around while driving, confident I’m going one way when I’m actually headed the opposite direction. More than once, I’ve had to call my husband for help finding my way back. His first question is always the same: “Where are you coming from?”
It turns out that matters. You can’t figure out where you’re going without first understanding where you started. The same is true spiritually, not in the sense of how we came to exist, but in understanding our original purpose and God’s original intentions for his creation.
In the Beginning, God Called It Good
If you’ve ever opened the Bible and started at the very first page, you already know how the story begins: “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). And it starts in total darkness, the kind so consuming you can’t see your own hand in front of your face. Out of that formless, empty darkness, God’s first act was to call forth light.
From there, God kept adding detail, day and night, sky and water, vegetation, and creatures of the land, air, and sea. Like an artist admiring his own work, God looked at what he’d made and called it tov, the Hebrew word for “good.” God does not hate the world, and he does not hate his creation. He called it good.
Then came the final addition: humanity, made in God’s own image. This time, God didn’t just call it good; he called it tov meod. Very good.
Why “Good” Is a Verb, Not Just a Label
In the original Hebrew, tov isn’t simply an adjective. It takes the form of a verb. A verb refers to an action. So when God called creation good, he was setting something into motion, planting purpose into humanity and launching what he called good, very good.
The Final Jewel of Creation
After forming the sky, the sea, the land, and every living creature, God added one final piece: humanity. And humanity stands apart from everything else God made. We alone were created in the image of God himself (Genesis 1:27). Once again, God stepped back to admire his work, and this time, looking at humanity, he called it tov meod: very good.
That distinction matters. Your worth isn’t measured against how well you’re performing or how well you slept last night. It’s rooted in the fact that you bear the image of the God who made you, the same God who looked at you and called you very good.
Placed in a Garden of Delight
God then placed humanity in the garden of Eden, a Hebrew word meaning “delight” or “pleasure.” There, humanity existed with God and the rest of creation in perfect harmony, balance, and divine order. It was peaceful, serene, and marked by indescribable joy. That garden gives us a glimpse of what God intended for us from the very beginning: not striving, but delight; not proving our worth, but resting in it.
Reflection
Where in your life have you struggled to believe you were created “good,” let alone “very good”?
If this resonated with you, check out Fashioned by Faith by Monica Ritchie, a raw, honest look at what it means to move from performing faith to actually knowing God.
Monica Ritchie (MA, Bethel Seminary) is an on-air host at 98.5 KTIS in the Twin Cities and hosts the popular podcast Theologically Fashioned. She has authored multiple devotionals for the 98.5 KTIS listener email list and her work has been featured on numerous occasions by The Truly Co. In her spare time, Monica enjoys reading everything from C.S. Lewis to the latest beach read, going for walks, and exploring coffee shops in search of the best chai.
