January 2nd, 26: God's Love, Restoration, and Our Journey: Exploring Genesis and Luke on January Second

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible podcast! In today's episode, Hunter invites us into the second day of our year-long journey through the scriptures, encouraging us to simply listen, read, and be transformed by God’s love. We dive into the foundational stories of Genesis 3–5, witnessing humanity’s fall, exile from Eden, and the first generations after Adam and Eve. The episode then transitions to Luke 2, where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the joy of the shepherds, and the dedication of the young Messiah in the temple.

Throughout the reading, Hunter reflects on the true nature of God’s holiness—not as a barrier that keeps us away, but as a consuming love that seeks to restore and draw us near, even in our brokenness. Together, we spend time in prayer, seek peace, and remember that God has come to us just as we are. Whether you’re new to this community or part of our daily gathering, this episode is a heartfelt invitation to experience and be changed by God’s transformative love.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

God comes to us, just as we are. Sometimes we think we have to get ourselves straightened out or cleaned up—at least a little—before we can hope or expect God to draw near, to love us, to do anything for us. But that's not the gospel at all.

We are the ones who hide and withdraw in our shame, in our delusion and darkness. He is not the one who hides from us. In today’s scripture, we see Adam and Eve banished from the garden. It’s easy to read these passages and imagine that they were sent away because God’s holiness makes it impossible for him to be in the presence of sin or sinners. But that’s not the picture the Bible gives us. God banishes Adam and Eve, not because he despises them or cannot bear being near them, but in mercy—to keep them from reaching out for the Tree of Life in their blindness, in a way that could not be undone.

God isn’t so holy that he must separate himself from us. He is so holy that he constantly moves toward us, into our darkness, into our wounds, our delusions, our hiding places. He comes to restore us, to cover us, to open our eyes. He covers Adam and Eve with garments; he meets Cain in his wandering; he draws near again and again. That is his character.

This is the gospel: God comes to us as we are, in our delusion and blindness, lost and hiding, and he restores us. His holiness is a holy love—a consuming love, a purifying love—that burns away all that is not of love and brings us back to himself. That love sent Jesus to the cross to break the power of sin, to open our eyes, so we can see who we are in him, his beloved children.

The news, my friend, is better than we’ve thought. God has not banished you because he despises you or cannot stand to be in your presence. He has acted so that a way of restoration could be made—and that is exactly what he’s done in Christ. He is present with us, right now, just as we are, and he invites us to participate with him in the great work of renewal and restoration.

Let us live in this truth. Let us experience the joy of it, let it shape our family, our relationships, and our world. Let this be our prayer—for our own soul, for those we love, and for you: that we truly see and live in the reality of God’s love, that we know we are his, and that we step forward, day by day, in that love.

May it be so.