From Eden to Egypt- Day 4

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 1:2 (NIV)

Not only did God create "the heavens and the earth" but He also was present with His Spirit, "hovering over the waters." 

Picture that! God was omnipresent, even when the earth was "formless and empty"with "darkness over the surface of the deep."  He was present when nothing else and no one else was anywhere in the picture.

Have you ever seen the Silver Surfer comic book superhero or Storm from the Uncanny X-Men? [Yeah, I know that I am truly giving my age away with that one.] They had powers that defied nature.  Storm could control wind and all of the elements in an instant.  The Silver Surfer could do some wild acrobatics and defy gravity at high rates of speed.  Yet, when we look at God's Spirit just being in place and at ease just above the waters of the deep, we have to realize that God is not exhibiting powers that defy nature.  God is the Divine who designs nature. Nature is derived from God based upon Him being the Almighty and the Creator.

...And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.- Gen. 1:2 (KJV)

I can imagine God just drifting above the shimmering waters, sitting alone in the darkness with His thoughts going to how He would create more and do more with what He had already started by creating the heavens and the earth.

Let your imagination run wild and try to conjure up an idea of what it must have been for that period.  The earth was formless and void.  Darkness covered the entire earth.  God was moving about by His Spirit just above the waters.  What does your imagination tell you?

*From Eden to Egypt is a series for Life Path Ministries by Rev. Bruce Jackson that chronicles a daily study and reading of the Book of Genesis and The Genesis Record by Henry M. Morris.

From Eden to Egypt- Day 3

In the beginning God created... - Genesis 1:1

God is active.  He's always doing something.  Even from the very beginning, God was actively engaged in creating.  The mental picture that is set forth in this phrase has our minds seeking to formulate the pre-creation thoughts of One whose thoughts and ways are far above our own.  We cannot fathom it at all.

Henry Morris writes: "The work of creation, however, is uniquely a work of God." We must not lose sight of that theological fact.  God is the Creator.  All things were made by Him and for Him.  In fact, John writes that nothing was made without Him.  The triune God was at work from the beginning.

The word used for God's handiwork of creation is "bara," "used always only of the work of God." When we look at the majestic and mighty work of God through creation was marvel at how God set things in order from the very beginning.  Thus, if He is not the author of confusion, He is an orderly God.  Even in Creation, He keeps things in order.

Look out today at His power to create waves that cease at invisible walls to create tides that subside upon soft sands of beaches.  Witness how He created trees to reach astronomical heights but still not reach the very outer edge of the heavenly realm.  See how His creation lives and breathes in harmony, whether it be the animal kingdom or the plant kingdom.

He created.  He created from the beginning.  He created by His own power.  God is a creative force as the Creator.

*From Eden to Egypt is a series for Life Path Ministries by Rev. Bruce Jackson that chronicles a daily study and reading of the Book of Genesis and The Genesis Record by Henry M. Morris.

Spring Thing (Ecc. 3:1)

To everything there is a season. . .-Ecc. 3:1

You know it's spring when the Good Friday and Lent have passed with little to no incident from the church folks or the family. Do you remember those Easter suits? It always had to be something light like a khaki or funny green with a pastel shirt and some odd-looking, crooked-hanging clip-on tie with weird images or shapes on it. I'll always remember paisley-printed ties. Ugh!!

That was then, though. Now, as I reflect on spring, I recall that God gives us seasons, signs of change all around us. the wisdom of Solomon teaches us that there is a season for everything. However, look at what God does. He can have us mourning a loved one's passing and anticipating the birth of a child. He can have us laughing at a joke a friend just shared on MySpace and alarmed at what we just saw on the cable news. He has a reason for it all. We may not understand it at all. However, as I look at things today, I am reminded that God does things His way for His own reason.

___________________________________________________________________

Check out www.urbanministry.org for information and inspiration about getting things done in your local community and abroad. There certainly is a movement afoot!!