In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
The first four words of the Bible are significant as they reveal the existence of God. Genesis is about the origin of everything except God. He has no starting point. Even before there was a beginning, there was God. He always has been, always is, and always will be. That’s what it means to be from everlasting to everlasting. That is the very definition of eternity. God made everything in creation, and all that is created points to His glory. The profound mystery is that our everlasting creator, God, wants to walk and talk with us. He has a commission for us, one He initially gave to Adam and Eve in the garden. Before the fall, they had a divine connection and communion with the Lord, and their lives were blessed and fulfilled (Genesis 1:28). And we were created for the same purpose. God never revoked the original commission. He is looking for people who will lay hold of all His plans and intentions by faith.
In the beginning, God. He is who we need in all of our beginnings. Everything that begins with God has the best chance of success. The Bible starts with God and ends with the glory of the New Jerusalem. I love how the New Testament opens as the Old Testament does, with an introduction and revelation of God. But Matthew focuses on the Person of Jesus Christ. Matthew begins his gospel with “the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1), whereas Mark states, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1). Luke tells us how God prepared a people to birth the Christ Child into the world (Luke 1-2). John writes, “in the beginning, the Word” (John 1:1) because the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Often in a new beginning, as in the act of physical creation, our hearts and life may seem “without form and void and in darkness” (Genesis 1:2). Do not let this throw you off. It is not a doorway to despair but to hope. New beginnings and fresh starts can be scary, as change is often inherently challenging. Every day begins in the darkness of night, but light always arrives as the morning dawns. The Holy Spirit is constantly with us, brooding like a mother hen over all our questions, chaos, and darkness. And as the sun rises in the morning, the light of Christ will arise upon you. And as this happens, we can receive renewed meaning, identity, and purpose (Genesis 1:3).
In a time of unprecedented upheaval, change, and turmoil in the world, the Holy Spirit invites us to a renewal of our first love. Jesus Christ is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). Jesus is the first stone, the “chief cornerstone” in every building that will withstand life’s storms. Build your thought life upon Christ. Let Him be your first thought every morning, the last thought as you fall asleep at night, and the center of your big and small endeavors. His wisdom will arise in you (1 Corinthians 1:30). You can discern and judge what is fitting, trustworthy, and lasting. And like the sons of Issachar, you will understand the times and know what to do with decisions big and small (1 Chronicles 12:32).
Many Blessings, BW