Very good

Not just good — very good. At the end of the sixth day, after creating humanity, God surveys everything He has made and the verdict is emphatic: it is very good. This is the original divine assessment of the world and of human beings. Whatever brokenness came after — and much brokenness came after — this is the foundation. Before the fall, before sin, before shame, God looked at His creation including the man and woman and declared it very good. I find this verse important to return to when I am tempted to accept a low view of myself or the world. The fall is real and its consequences are serious, but the original word spoken over creation and over humanity is not condemnation — it is delight. That matters.