In The Beginning

ByJim Stephens

Reading:  Genesis 1:1-3, John 1:1-14

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3 NLT)

1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. (John 1:1-3 NLT)

In the Genesis Story, creation began with God’s Word, spoken into darkness and chaos. God saw what could be and spoke the Word that dispelled the darkness, brought order out of chaos, and brought things into being that had not existed before. God’s Word is his breath, his life, the very essence of himself.

In the beginning there was God. In the beginning God created everything that is, everything that was, and everything that will be. God’s method of creating everything was, and still is, his Word, empowered by his Spirit. God’s Word still goes forth with light-bringing, chaos-ordering, hope-giving power!

In the beginning was the Word – not the Bible – the Word. John’s Gospel tell us that God’s Word is a person, an inseparable part of the Trinity—of God. “In the fullness of time,” God’s Word became Jesus Christ, who became God in Flesh through his birth and life, who became Savior of all through his suffering and death, and who became Victor over death and Lord over all through his resurrection.

As you and I continue our life-long journey of faith, God has given us his Unchanging Word (Jesus Christ), his life-speaking, empowering Spirit, and his Book, the Bible, which tells us about who God is and how God has progressively revealed himself to us through the generations.

Jesus said, “…People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.” (Matthew 4:4 NLT) Let’s open the eyes of our hearts to the light of truth and feed our souls fresh bread from God’s Word every day.

Prayer:

Father, As my friends and I step into this fresh, new year of our journey of faith, may we have daily bread for our souls, the water of life for our spirits, and the company of friends to support and encourage us when the path becomes steep and the way hard. Amen.