Love God Greatly: In the BeginningSample

In the beginning, the earth was dark. It had no shape and contained only water. But God was there. He existed within the darkness, even before He created the light. 

“Let there be light.” God commanded light into existence. He changed the darkness by creating light. He separated light and dark, giving each a name. Scripture doesn’t say the darkness was bad, but it does say God separated it from the light, which He said was good. 

The creation of light also ushered in the creation of time as we understand it. Scripture doesn’t talk about God specifically creating time, but with the introduction of light, God created days. Light marked the day and darkness marked the night. The change of light is how we measure time. 

God created the earth with great intentionality, creativity, and purpose. Not one action of God in creation was a mistake. God laid the foundations of the earth, light and darkness, day and night, with purpose and meaning. 

In the book of Job we find a few more details about God’s intent and creativity in creation. Job was a righteous man who suffered terrible losses. Job did not sin by cursing God in the midst of his loss. However, he did ask God for some kind of explanation for his suffering. God responded by asking Job, in many ways, “Where were you when I . . . ?” The questions reminded Job of God’s sovereignty.

When our world crumbles, we, like Job, can approach God’s throne. We can pour our questions and pain out to Him. He may not always answer us how we hope, but we can rest in His sovereignty. He created the foundations of the earth, along with everything in it. He created light and time, and nothing is beyond His control. May we shout for joy as His people. 

Prayer:

Lord God, I am amazed at Your power in creation. You created light and separated it from the darkness. I praise You for Your creativity, intentionality, and purpose in creation. Help me trust You when I feel overwhelmed by darkness. Amen. 

By SOAPing your verses you are able to dig deeper into scripture and “see” more than if you simply read the verses.

WHAT DOES S.O.A.P. MEAN?

S– The S stands for Scripture- you physically write out the scripture……you’ll be amazed that what God will reveal to you just by taking the time to slow down and actually write out what you are reading!

O– The O stands for observation- what do you see in the verses that you’re reading? Who is the audience? Is there a repetition of words? What words stand out to you?

A– The A stands for Application- this is when God’s Word becomes personal. What is God saying to me today? How can I apply what I just read to my own personal life? What changes do I need to make? Is there an action that I need to take?

P– And finally P stands for Prayer. Pray God’s Word back to Him. If He has revealed something to you during this time in His Word, pray about it. Confess if He has revealed some sin that is in your life.