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Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

It’s a small detail, but it makes you stop and think: “Let us make… in our image.” From the very beginning, God speaks of himself in the plural. This is not confusion or contradiction. It is a quiet glimpse into the mystery Christians later confess in more detail. The one true God is triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here, already in creation, the triune God is at work together.

And what is the result of this divine counsel? Humanity. You were not an after-thought or an accident. You were created intentionally, personally, and wonderfully. The triune God crafted human beings in his own image, capable of knowing him, reflecting his holiness, and living in perfect relationship with him and with one another.

But when we look at ourselves and our world, something feels off. The image is cracked and distorted. Sin has broken what God made perfect. Instead of reflecting God’s holiness, we often reflect selfishness, pride, and fear. Instead of living in harmony, we experience division and pain.

Yet the triune God did not abandon what he made.

The Father sent his Son into the world. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, is called “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). Where we have failed to reflect God, he does so perfectly. He lives the life we could not live and dies the death we deserved, restoring what was broken.

And the Holy Spirit continues God’s creative work even now. Through the gospel, he renews hearts and reshapes lives, restoring the image of God within us. What was shattered is being made whole again.

So, when you hear God say, “Let us make,” remember that this same triune God is still speaking and still working. You are not forgotten or without purpose. You were created by God, redeemed by God, and are being renewed by God.

Thank you, triune God, for your continuing work in me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.