TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Genesis 2:8-25
When I think of fellowship, I think of casseroles, green beans and plates full of ham, fried chicken and pigs in a blanket. If you go to worship much, you have heard of fellowship meals. It sounds so formal!
The word for fellowship has two different, but similar, meanings. The word means “to have a share in” and “to give a share to.” This word is reciprocal. It is a lot like buying something from the store. You give money to get something in return. If you are selling something, you do the same thing.
In Genesis 2, God has already created the heavens and the earth and given us the genealogy of existence. He planted a garden and put man in it. God’s aim is to prove a point not only to Adam but to all of us. “It is not good for man to be alone” (2:18). God parades all the animals in front on of Adam and he quickly names them all. He probably saw elephants, monkeys, cows, tigers, lions, horses, pigeons, toucans, sparrows, and many other animals.
At the end of this long day, a brutal truth is realized. In all that God has created, there was nothing like Adam. Why is this a problem? Because God has already said, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (2:18). As God continues, He says, “I will make him a helper fit for him.” A meaning of the term “fit for” is “that which corresponds to.” So, God wants to make something that helped and could be helped by Adam because God created man to need fellowship.
God created man with an internal necessity for relationships where we can assist and be assisted, love and be loved, encourage and be encouraged. As we think about the word fellowship, we have to consider our part in it. From the beginning God has planned for us to have fellowship with other people who are like us. God made us so that we can gain from and give to other people.
Today, I will…think about my relationships with my family, the church, my friends, and others I am around. It is important to figure out how you can be of benefit to and gain benefit from these relationships.