The First Sunday of Advent, November 27

CREATION: GOD’S ORDER

Genesis 1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen. 1:1) We know this Scripture well. But do we really understand what it means?

The Bible says that God first created the heavens and the earth, then the light, then night and day. Next, He created the sky, the dry ground, and then all vegetation. Next, God created the stars and the sun, then all the animals after their kinds, and finally man and woman. He did all this in six days, and then, on the seventh, He rested from His work. From the seventh day on, God was done, He didn’t create anything else, and he didn’t have to fix anything. Everything was complete and full of life.

He didn’t just create “things” however; He also created time, energy, and space. You see, in an infinite world that is “without form, and void” (vs. 2); none of those would have existed. God is beyond the restriction of time and space, but we, on the other hand, are confined and defined by it. God sees everything, and knows everything that is happening at all times. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

God not only made this planet, He also prepared the road to the cross right here in Gen. 1. Even though there was no sin in the beginning, and He never wanted anyone to sin, He knew they would. So He knew His own Son would have to be sacrificed for the very same people that He formed out of nothing. God always loved His Son, Jesus, and therefore made the way of salvation possible, before He ever began creating in the first place. The Scripture says we are redeemed, "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." 1 Peter 1:19-20.

God had a purpose and a plan, right from the beginning. He didn’t just “blindly” do something. Everything was for a reason. God has a plan for all of us, too; if we will surrender to Him and His plan, then He will lead us down the road toward heaven. His plan is spelled out in the Bible, beginning with Genesis and ending in Revelation. From beginning to end, the entire Bible says the same thing. God wants people who are totally surrendered to Him, and will be in fellowship with Him. God created everything on this planet, and He is bigger than any circumstance that might come our way. Are we willing to come before God, lay down all our plans, and let Him guide us through life? His plans are perfect, and His strength is sufficient. The road to the cross won’t be easy, and not everyone will like it, but it is God’s Holy road. God promises to guide the steps of every man today. If He is able to make the entire planet and everything in it in just six days, then how much more does He want to do in our lives?

~ Jason Frantz