by Brad Beals
Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
This is how God works. He speaks into a world that is formless, empty, and dark, and that Word shapes it, fills it, and illuminates it.
And God does not change; His word is eternal. Though the work of the physical creation is finished (Gen 2:1), God still speaks today: Jesus upholds the universe by the word of His power (Heb 1:3); His written word is active and living and sharper than any sword (Heb 4:12); and through His church God speaks to a world in confusion and disorder. Jesus said to the apostles, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). These are our marching orders until he returns; they are still operative today. So take heart! Nothing has changed. Since Genesis 1, God has been bringing order out of chaos and taking light into darkness by speaking. It may be a new creation that His word builds, but it is still the same Word that accomplishes it.
Today, that which is without form longs for God’s word to shape it. That which is empty longs for God’s word to fill it. And that which lies in darkness longs for the light of Christ to shine on it. In short, everything in God’s creation longs for God’s Word. And we have it! It is very near to us. It is in our mouths and in our hearts (Deut 30:14).
Our cities, descending into chaos and violence, long for the proclaimed word of God (whether they know it or not, as Jason reminded us yesterday). Our friends and neighbors, lost in their sinful condition – the very height of confusion and disorder – long for the regenerating word of God. And our own confusion and anxieties, stirred by what we see and read, long for the comforting word of God.
God’s word is the answer for our troubles today. It has always been the answer for confusion. It is God speaking. It is God, who never changes, quieting the souls of his children or making new hearts of flesh from old hearts of stone.
Let us trust then that He will speak to us today, bring order out of our chaos and light into this darkness. For this is how God works.
Leave a Reply