“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” – Genesis 1:1, 2

Every good story has a great beginning! The words, “Once upon a time…” can quiet a room and gain the attention of the most energetic children. Why? We all long to hear a good story. When a story is told well we can climb in and become a part of it and find ourselves lost in the world of imagination. There are many kinds of stories. Some are about make believe lands or even galaxies “far, far away”. Other tales are told in the context of familiar places and current events. Some are just fantasies and some are based on true events. There are stories that are not only true but they are testimonies of actual events. These stories are told to entertain, educate and enlighten. Then there is the Bible.

The Bible is a book of faith. It’s not just true…it is Truth! It’s not just a “recollection” of things that have happened…it is a “revelation” of why they happened and how they fit into the bigger picture of eternity. The Scripture interprets events on a deeper, spiritual level through the lens of the Creator of it all. This provides meaning and purpose behind every event and principle that we read in it. It is inspired by God, written by men and preserved and interpreted by the Holy Spirit. It is the story about who God is, who we are, where we came from, and how that all works together! So, that is why our journey begins the way it does,

“In the beginning God…”

We begin with a declaration that is the foundation of everything that follows in this written revelation…it all starts with God. He always was, always is and always will be. He is the Initiator…the First Mover…the Creator. All things are created by Him and for Him. He is the source of Light and Life for everything. Nothing exists that did not come from Him. You get the idea.

Some will say that there is no God and that all that we see and all that we are is the result of some cosmic accident. A random collision of molecules and energy. Others will say that there was some kind of natural explosion, a “big bang” that initiated all that currently exists. I have said that I believe in a “big bang” as well. God said it and BANG it came into being!

Here, in the first line of our origin story, the Scripture sets the record straight...”In the beginning God…”

The Bible begins by reminding us that it is more than a book about facts and events, it is a Book of Faith. It reveals how the temporal physical world interacts with the eternal spiritual world. In other words, for it to be understood and appreciated there must be a foundational belief that God is. He not only exists but He started it all, sustains it all and continues to interact with His creation. The Apostle Paul said it this way,

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14

So, a simple “faith” in God…a relationship with our Creator…precedes an understanding of the things of God and is necessary to the understanding of the rest of the story we see in the Scriptures. Remember, the Word of God is “living and active” and continues to provide for the believer all that is needed to experience the life that God intended for each of us and…it all began with Him!

“In the beginning God created…”