In the beginning, God

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

Isn’t this awesome? Let me confess upfront that I’m a fan of God and of science, and I would find it weird to treat Genesis like a science textbook. Thankfully, I don’t think it was ever meant as one. Instead, the Bible opens with a collection of stories which lay a foundation for making sense of our place and significance in the universe.

But look – it’s not initially about us. That’s important. I love that the writer of Genesis, with a huge stack of accounts to share about human nature, relationships, good and evil, big forces at play in human life, grabs our attention with this: “In the beginning, God”.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

This is the really big point. There will be no end to the books we could write about human nature, just as we keep discovering more about the physics of matter and how we are literally made of stardust from across the galaxy.

But how do we make sense of who we are? “In the beginning, God”
How do we understand why we feel the way we do? “In the beginning, God”
How can we account for our conflicts and how to deal with them? “In the beginning, God”

Because God was first, it’s not my universe, world, country, city, house or chair that I’m sitting in. It only feels like it is, especially if I forget that “In the beginning, God”. And even more amazing, amid all that stuff, God knows and loves us. Even knowing what we would do, turning away from him to do things our own way, that love remains the defining force in our world.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

I want to be better this year at beginning with God. I don’t mean squeezing in a “quiet time” at 6am. I mean looking at life, things to plan, problems to overcome and stuff to celebrate in a way that recognises God’s presence and love first. I’ve spent long enough worrying sometimes before turning to God. What if I remember God in the beginning instead?

Who am I going to share this with?

My main place of sharing about God, who he is and how he works, is within family. So I think this will shape our conversations about things we might be planning, looking forward to or worrying about in 2020. I especially want our son to know, from the beginning of his life, that God is the foundation and not an afterthought for us.