December 2

Genesis 1:24 – 2:3  

24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29 And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

2 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Grant, Almighty God,
that since Thou art pleased kindly to invite us to Thyself
and hast consecrated Thy Word for our salvation –
O grant that we may willingly, and from the heart,
obey Thee and become so teachable that what
Thou hast designed for our salvation may not turn
to our perdition.
But may that incorruptible seed by which Thou dost
regenerate us into a hope of the celestial life
so drive its roots into our hearts and bring forth fruit
that Thy name may be glorified.
And may we be so planted in the courts of Thy house
that we may grow and flourish, and that fruit may
appear through the whole course of our life,
until we shall at length enjoy that blessed life
that is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ
our Lord. Amen.