Fully Devoted: CreationSample

God Created Everything Before there was space, time, matter, molecules, or people, there was God. > In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NIV The first thing we learn about God is that He created . Saying God created the heavens and the earth is the ancient Hebrew way of saying God created everything . Little by little, one word at a time, the author of Genesis introduces us to God, helping us discover what He’s like. He existed before there was anything, and He created everything. What makes the biblical creation story distinct from other ancient creation stories is that since God created the universe, God is not part of the universe. Other ancient creation stories tend to portray the gods as a part of creation , but the Bible introduces us to the God who is over and above His creation—holy and set apart. The God we’re introduced to exists eternally outside of the confines of space, time, and matter. This is why the question, “If God created everything, then who created God?” is a misunderstanding of the God revealed in the Bible. The God of the Bible is an uncreated, eternal being who exists outside of the universe. > 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 NIV Next, we learn that the God of the Bible is a God of order. When Genesis describes the earth as formless and empty , it is describing a world without order . That’s what formless means—disordered and chaotic. But the God who created everything out of nothing proceeded to bring order out of that chaos. Meaning that nothing God creates is by accident—all of it is by design. So when the world feels like it’s spinning out of control, we can find hope in the fact that our Creator is still in charge, and He brings order out of chaos. That includes you. You were not a product of random chance, but the result of divine intention . The more we discover about the nature of the universe, the more we understand how finely-tuned it is, providing exactly the conditions needed for life to exist. So much so, that many people have seen the design of the universe as one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the existence of a designer God. > And God said ... Genesis 1:3 NIV The rest of this chapter walks us through the process of God working to form and fill His creation. It’s through the power of His words as an act of love that God creates—not through conquest and violence. And at the end of this creation account, God looks upon all that He has created and He calls it “very good.” So, who is God? Well, according to the first page of the Bible, God is the Creator of everything. Journaling Questions * Write down one of today’s verses in your journal. How does God’s introduction of Himself as Creator change your view of Him? * How do you see yourself, knowing that you are a result of divine intention? * What does “very good” mean to you? What did it mean to God? Memory Verse > So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 NIV