Genesis 1:26 Daily Devotional & Meaning – The Image of God: Trinity, Relationship, and Stewardship

Daily Verses Everyday! Day 7

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

This verse highlights the Trinity. The first sentence states, “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness.” This use of plural pronouns, “Us” and “Our”, is significant. It shows that from the very beginning of Scripture, God reveals Himself not as a solitary being locked in isolation but as a relational God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit together participate in the creation of mankind. This verse does not negate the truth that there is one God, but it also opens the window to the mystery of the Trinity: one essence, three persons, united in perfect harmony.

This is the mystery of the Trinity revealed in creation. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—distinct, yet united, relational, yet one essence—exist in perfect harmony before the universe itself is formed. The plural pronouns in Genesis 1:26 point to this eternal communion, this divine fellowship from which all life originates.

Imagine for a moment stepping into the very beginning of all things. There is no structure, no land or sky—only a vast void. Yet, this emptiness is not loneliness, for it is filled with the presence of God in perfect relationship. Before anything exists, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit exist in harmony, their unity giving rise to all that will come into being. Viewing creation from this perspective ignites something profound in our view of life. Creation is not a mechanical act but a relational one. Every word God speaks, every creature He forms, every order He establishes is born out of His internal harmony, His eternal dialogue, and His perfect love.

When God says, “Let us make man in our image,” He is inviting humanity into that same relational reality. Humans are not merely functional beings; we are reflections of the relational God. We are made to exist in relationship with Him, with one another, and with the creation around us. Just as the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct yet perfectly unified, we too are called to reflect unity in diversity: individuality within community, freedom within purpose, creativity within order. And in that relationship, we are given a task: to “have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” This dominion is a call to stewardship, which is a reflection of the care, wisdom, and order inherent in the Trinity itself.

Just as the Father, Son, and Spirit exercise perfect harmony and intentionality in creation, we are called to exercise responsibility, wisdom, and love over all that God has made. Dominion means guiding, protecting, and nurturing life, ensuring that the Earth and its creatures flourish according to God’s established order.

In caring for creation, we mirror God’s relational and creative character, participating in His ongoing work of sustaining and governing the world. Humanity’s authority is intertwined with accountability: our freedom to act carries the responsibility to reflect God’s wisdom, justice, and mercy. In other words, to be made in the image of the relational God is to be a caretaker, a partner in creation, and a living reflection of divine harmony.

Our role is not separate from God’s; it is a continuation of His design, a chance to manifest His love, order, and creativity in every interaction with the world around us. The same relational unity that exists within the Trinity now calls us into relationship with God, one another, and all creation, inviting us to live out His image through purposeful and loving stewardship.

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If you would like to explore Genesis in a sustained, verse-by-verse way with space to reflect, journal, and trace how these foundational truths unfold through Scripture the Verse by Verse book expands these reflections into a unified reading experience. The book gathers these meditations into a structured journey through Genesis, designed to help readers linger in the text and engage God’s Word more deeply over time.

Continue on with Verse 27.

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