Creation

Recently, God has placed a desire in my heart to go back through the Old Testament and think of the bible stories that we hear as children in a new light. I believe that the Bible is the Living Word of God, and that the stories of the Bible can be relevant to us no matter what age we are. So, this post is on the story of Creation, a story that I realize I have not looked at nearly as much since childhood.However, upon meditating on the first few chapters of Genesis, God revealed to me some of the timeless truths about creation, relevant to anyone of any age.

"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." Genesis 1:1-2

The first truth about creation that I realize is somewhat obvious. God is the Creator of EVERYTHING. Look around you, and I guarantee that no matter what you see, there is nothing that God did not create. Even the "man-made" things, if you break them down to their basic materials, God created those materials, as well as the man-power needed to form them into what they are. There is nothing on Earth that would exist without our Lord and Creator.
 
Now, think about the things in your life that bring you stress, anxiety,or even fear. We all have things that bring us fear. However,it is so important to remember that God is  in control over all of it. As we see in verse 2, "the earth was formless and empty" before God. If God has the power to create everything, including the things that give us trouble or stress, does He not have the power to be in control over it? Even better, when God sent Christ, and then raised him from the dead, Jesus defeated death and now when we accept a personal relationship with Him, we share in that victory. In the book of Daniel, God reveals the glory of Christ in a vision, and Daniel 7:14 tells us, "He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations,and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed." NOTHING is out of God's control and since Christ gave His life for us, we share in his victory over death by accepting a relationship with Him. So remember, God is the creator of everything, meaning that He is in control of everything. Know that truth and be secure that God has created all and is above all, and that He loves us and will always care for us and protect us.He has created everything in our lives, past, present, and future, and he will take care of us. But don't just take my word for it, read what Jesus says with regards to us and God in John 10: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of the Father's hand."

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

 The second truth that God has revealed to me through creation is that God created us, but He is still creating us more and more every day of our lives. If you are still breathing, God's plan for you on Earth is still being completed and He is still transforming you into a new and more perfect creation (if you aren't breathing, you should probably go to a hospital.). As you see in Genesis 1:27, God created us in HIS image and we are the only part of creation made in His image. That being said, realize that since God created us in His image, we should not be satisfied until we are truly transformed into the perfect image God had in mind for us before sin entered the world. Now that is not to say that you should despise the way God created you, because God uses our talents, personality, and gifts to bring Him glory. What I mean to say is that we should always strive to portray the perfect life of Christ in our lives. The lies that people tell about how we should be fine and happy exactly the way we are are not biblical. Appreciate the way God created you, but we are to despise and rid ourselves of the sin in our lives and the way we were before a relationship with Christ- "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices, and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:9-10. Inspired by God, Paul writes that we are to put off the way we were before Christ and the sinful practices that went along with it. The sinful decisions and acts that we are a part of were NOT in God's image for us in creation, and they still are not today. Our creation is not done yet. As Paul writes, we are being renewed every day into the image of God. Note that God created us in His image, yes, but Colossians also tells us that we are still being renewed into the image of our Creator. Our sinful ways were not in God's image, and we must remember that, and strive to be better, not for ourselves, but for Christ, and for our Creator.

Creation is such an important part of our story. There is so much more to be learned than what is in this blog post. I encourage you to go over the story of creation yourself, and pray to God to reveal to you a new sense of understanding about creation and how to apply it to your life. Lastly remember that prayer and meditation over whatever you do is so important because as creation reveals to us, God created us and since He is in control over everything, that includes us. The third thing about creation that God has revealed to me is that we need God for EVERYTHING. Don't ever forget who is in control.

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's power." 1 Corinthians 1:25