Before the First Task

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

Genesis 1:1-3 KJV

A morning can begin with so many demands that I act as though the whole world depends on my getting started. Genesis gives me a better place to begin. Before there was a garden to keep, a family to feed, or a day's work to finish, there was God. Creation belongs to Him because He made it. The first sentence of the Bible puts my responsibilities inside a world that already has an Owner.

Read the passage carefully

The earth did not organize itself into something that finally caught God's attention. God spoke, and light came at His command. These verses introduce the Creator's power without asking creation to contribute the ability He lacked. He lacked nothing. That distinction matters when I read the rest of Scripture. The Lord who addresses people throughout the Bible is the God who brought their world into existence. His words carry an authority that no human opinion can acquire.

I cannot turn this account into a promise that speaking my own wishes will create the life I want. The power in the passage belongs to God. My place is to believe what He has revealed and live under His rule. Even the strength I use to work, think, and serve is received. Remembering that can quiet the pride that grows when a project succeeds and the panic that comes when a day gets beyond my control.