Genesis 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God
created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Footnotes
- Genesis 1:26 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Syriac); Masoretic Text the earth
Open Possibilities
Genesis 1:1-4
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
We all come into the world with blank slate lives. Like creation, our future is formless and empty. Who we will be and what we will do is shrouded in darkness.
Of course, God sees our future, but we can’t. In fact, God sees every possibility. He knows exactly what each person is capable of. And from the very beginning of our lives, He’s there wanting to guide us to our greatest potential.
The Scripture says that God’s Spirit was hovering over the darkness of creation. Can you picture God’s Spirit hovering over you? He’s right there with us, even if we don’t know it. And when we turn to Him, He will show us who we can be. He will remove the darkness of uncertainty by declaring “Let there be light” in our lives.
Do you feel the Spirit’s presence with you now? What light is He shining into Your heart today?
God Our Maker and King
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1 clearly portrays God as our Maker. I wonder if you've ever made something. Maybe, like God, you've made a human being. You've participated in the Divine act of creation by having a child. Let me ask you this: do you expect that child to listen to you and obey you?
Of course, you do. Even though your son or daughter has their own will, you know what's best for them. They have no legal rights to make their own decisions until they come of age.
It's the same with God. He is our Creator. He made us. We wouldn't be here without Him. And even though we have our own will, we do not have the right to do as we please. We are responsible to God to obey Him. Like a parent with their child, He knows what's best for us, and we have no right to act against His wishes.
Another way to think about it is to view God as our King and we as His vassals. The King is the rightful ruler. We have no right to rebel against Him unless He does something that proves Himself unworthy to rule. But God will never do anything unworthy of our respect and obedience because He is the perfect good and wise King. Our only legitimate response to God our King is to give Him our loyalty.
In what ways do you need to show God more respect in your life?
In what ways do you need to show God more gratitude for creating you?
God’s Spirit Hovering Over the Dark Waters
Genesis 1:2-3
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. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
We've all gone through dark times in life. That's just how life is. It's up, and it's down. Sometimes, things are going your way, and sometimes, they're not.
That's why I love Genesis 1:2-3. The entire world was in chaos. It had no orderly shape to it. It was just a mess of watery substance covered in complete darkness. It was nothing in those first moments of creation.
But what?
But God's Spirit was hovering over that mess. God's Spirit was hovering, waiting in the midst of that darkness, getting ready to act. And in the next instant, God's Spirit declared, "Let there be light!" and the darkness was gone.
It would come back, just like our dark times return from time to time. But in that moment, it was gone.
We all go through dark times. And, yes, sometimes, our life seems to be a mess. But God's Spirit is hovering over you, getting ready to act, getting ready to bring His light to your darkness.
Can you feel it?
God Said, and There Was
Genesis 1:3
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
If you could wish for anything – if you could just say it and have it happen – what would you wish for? Would you wish for some circumstance in your life to change? Would you wish for world peace or an end to hunger?
I'm betting that most of the things you would wish for are good things. I'm also betting that most of the things you would wish for are things that God would also wish for. He wants your life to be good. He wants the world to be in harmony. If it's good, God would wish for it, right? He's a good God.
Except with God, it's not wishing. It's waiting. Because God can change things in an instant, at any time He wants to. He can simply speak and create light. He can say the word and make it be. He can dispel the darkness and turn the universe on its head with a sentence. But the universe had to wait for that to happen. God didn't create light on the earth the first second He could. God is eternal. The earth is not. The earth had to wait for God to form it and shine light on it.
It's the same with us. God can change our whole situation, the whole course of our life, the whole world order... instantly.
And someday, He will. Christ will return and flip the world right side up. Everything will be as it was intended. But that time hasn't come yet.
Maybe the time for God to speak and change your situation is right around the corner. Or maybe the time isn't right yet, and you'll have to wait a little longer. Just keep listening for that one sentence, that one word of change from Him, and be ready. The change is coming. He promises you that.
God Separated
Genesis 1:4-5
God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”
There’s no confusion with God. He knows what’s what. He knows what’s light and what’s dark. There’s no twilight, no gray in His vision. God is holy. And He calls things as He sees them.
Can we learn to do the same? Can we train ourselves to call the light good and make a clear division between the light and the dark, the right and the wrong? Can we look at things the way God sees them?
We don’t want to become judgmental or rigid to the point of having no compassion. But we do want to firmly settle what we believe and how we view certain actions and attitudes. We want the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts so that we can distinguish how a Christian should act or think about a certain issue. When it’s time to make a decision or vote on something, we should be able to understand what God thinks about the questions facing us.
Christians are not uninformed people. We have the wisdom of God and the Spirit of the Creator telling us His will for our lives and our world. We have a perfect Father showing us the difference between light and darkness, and He only called one of them good.
What decisions are you facing today in which you need to see the difference between light and dark?
In what areas of your life do you need to make a clear separation between what God is telling you is right and what He’s telling you is wrong?
A Vault between the Waters
Genesis 1:6-7
And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
God separated “water from water” when He created the sky. He also separates water from water as He builds His church.
There are some who enter the waters of baptism with a heart of devotion toward God, thankful for His salvation. There are others who don’t understand what the waters of baptism mean, but later, they come to understand the grace that’s been given to them.
Others are baptized either willingly or by their parents’ act of obedience, but they never live up to their calling, or they stray from the faith they profess.
God separates “water from water.” He doesn’t view all the baptized as the same. He doesn’t view all those who claim to be Christians the same. He loves them all the same, but He knows that they don’t love Him the same.
If you have been baptized, that means that you’ve taken the name of Christ and become a Christian. That decision might have been made by your own choice; it might have been a gift from your parents. Either way, don’t take Christ’s name in vain.
What is God asking you to do today to live up to your calling as a member of the baptized?
Gathered to One Place
Genesis 1:9
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.
Like the waters gathering to one place at the time of creation, Christians are called to gather together.
We can gather in many different ways. We can attend a worship service, participate in a Bible class, go to a home study, meet with a friend for accountability and prayer, or take part in an online discussion group. However we gather, we are there to encourage one another in our mutual faith.
But notice that God gathered the waters to one place. Now, it wouldn’t be practical or necessary for all Christians to meet in one place physically. But can we meet in one place in our attitudes toward one another?
Can we celebrate the different perspectives that we have as individuals and church groups instead of demeaning one another? Can we put up with theological differences of opinion instead of separating into our many “bodies of water”? Can we work around our views about worship styles and certain lifestyle convictions to preserve the unity of our “one place”?
The Church should be like many waters coming together and blending into one ocean.
In what ways is the Holy Spirit asking you to be more gracious toward other Christians?
How can you promote Christian unity?
With Seeds in It
Genesis 1:11
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it…”
In the beginning, there were no plants without the seeds in them necessary to make new plants. By God’s design, there are no Christians who don’t have the seeds in them to make new Christians.
I’m not talking about physical reproductive seeds. I’m talking about the ability to share our faith.
Not everyone is comfortable being an evangelist. Not everyone has a call to preach or to aggressively witness to others about the faith. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t plant the seed of faith in someone else.
They could casually mention that they’re going to a Bible study or talk about something that happened at a church event this past week. They could share the news about a charity that they support or a volunteer program they belong to. Only God knows where such a conversation could lead. Perhaps God has already been working on the heart of the person you’re talking to, and your casual comment will prompt them to ask you more.
You could read your Bible or a Christian book in front of others and give them something to think about. You could give to a ministry that evangelizes and disciples new Christians. When you do so, you’re planting the seed of Christianity just as much as the person doing the teaching.
How has God gifted you to spread the seed of your faith?
What is God asking you to do to share your faith with others?
The Greater and Lesser Lights
Genesis 1:14-16
And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
Which one are you? Are you the sun, the greater light? The moon, the lesser light? Or maybe you’re one of the “also” stars.
I have an idea of where I fit in that cosmic paradigm, and you probably know where you fit as well. Here’s the question: are you okay with that?
Can you humble yourself enough to accept your station in life? Can you perform your function no matter your status?
All the lights God made serve one purpose: to give light. Some of us give a little, some of us more, but we all help give light to the world.
And notice that God doesn’t call the greater light better than the lesser. There’s no person that’s better than another in God’s eyes. There’s no Christian who’s more important or more valued than another. The lights, and we, simply have different roles. The stars are content to be stars. The moon doesn’t want to be the sun. And the sun doesn’t complain about its responsibility as the greater light. They all fulfill their purpose for us without wanting to be something they’re not.
Be honest with yourself and name the light that God has designed you to be, then pray for contentment in your station.
Let US Make Man
Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Have you ever wondered why God made us? What are we doing here? What's the point?
To answer that, let's think about why we make things. Think back to the last thing you made. I'm not talking about something you made for work or something that you had to make for a project in school. I'm talking about the last thing you made out of your own free will just because you had the idea to make it. Maybe it was a piece of art or a piece of furniture for the home or a good meal or a child.
Whatever it was, why did you decide to make it?
You made it because you wanted it, right? You simply wanted it. You wanted to enjoy it.
It's the same with God. God didn't have any need to make us. He wasn't assigned the task. He simply wanted to do it. He wanted you.
God is a relationship, the Three in One. God exists for relationship. He made us because He wanted to be in relationship with us, to draw us into the loving relationship of the Trinity.
That's why you're here.
In Our Image
Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
What do you think it means for humans to be in God's image and God's likeness?
One way we're in His image is in a very physical way - the way we're put together. When God the Father said, "Let Us make humans in Our image," He was talking to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God, the Three-in-One, was saying, "Let's make humans to be like Us."
And so, because God is a Three-in-One, we are a three-in-one in our very being. We have a mind (or soul), and we have a spirit, both held in our body, just as God has God the Son (referred to in some places as the logos or the thought, and other places as the Wisdom of God) and God the Holy Spirit, both unified in and coming from God the Father.
So, our very being reflects or is an image of God's being. Pretty cool, right? You are a trinity, just as God is.
And because of that, your body, mind, and spirit should be unified and working together. If your spirit is working toward good ends, but you're not taking as good care of your body as you should be, your being isn't unified. Each part of you needs to be unified and working together.
In Our Likeness
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…”
Besides being in God's image, we've also been made in God's likeness. So, what is God like? How would you describe Him?
You might say He's:
- Powerful, Loving, Creative
- Kind, Just, Merciful
- Relational, Caring
- Eternal, All-knowing, All-present
- Wise, Righteous, Selfless, Giving
And we were made to be like Him. Now, obviously, we can't be all of those things to the extent that God is, but can we strive to be those things as much as possible?
If we can't be all-present – if we can't be everywhere at once - can we be more present with those we care about? Can we spend more time with our loved ones, giving them our focused attention?
If we can't be as wise or as all-knowing as God, can we practice sharpening our mind and making good decisions?
A good growth exercise would be to intentionally strive to be more like God in one area at a time. Keep a journal of how you embodied a chosen quality during the day and see how you're growing in God's likeness. Next week, do the same thing with another one of God's qualities and keep becoming more and more like Him.
What God Sees
Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1
tells us that God made humanity in His image. But it wasn't in God the Father's
image alone. It was in Their image. God made us to be an image, or something
that looks like, Themselves (the Trinity). We were made to be a type of mirror
for God to look into and see Themselves reflected back.
So, what does God see when They look at Themselves?
God sees perfection. Wholeness. Love. Power. Grace, kindness, peace. Perfection. When God the Father looks at God the Son, that’s what He sees. When the Spirit looks at the Father, He admires Him for all of those qualities.
And if God made us to be a reflection of Themselves, what They see in us is all of those qualities shining back at Them. This isn't to say that God doesn't see our imperfections and sin, but it is to say that despite our imperfections, God still sees Their good, complete qualities in us. They see both at the same time. This is how much God loves and values us. They value us as They value Themselves. And this is what makes Them sacrifice and give Themselves for us. This is what makes us worthy of redemption.
If you don’t feel worthy today, remember how God sees you. He sees you as Himself.
God Blessed Them
Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number…”
Part of God’s blessing is the ability to have children. Some parents understand that blessing; others don’t. After all, children are difficult at times, and expensive, and they take the majority of your free time. And they provide another topic for you to disagree with your spouse about. And, and, and…
God says they’re a blessing. So, how can Christian parents treat their children and appreciate their children as the blessings they are? How can we show our children we value them as God’s blessings to us?
As you reflect on God’s blessing to you, think about these questions:
- What qualities has God taught you through your struggles and efforts in raising a child?
- How has God enriched your life through the presence of your child or children?
- In what ways has having children helped you to relate to God better?
Do you have another insight into Genesis 1? Please share below!
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