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. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning, God.
The One without beginning.
The One who is before all things, and in whom all things hold together.
Before beginnings, before time, before creation, He was there. Lacking nothing, and needing nothing. But the beginningless One begins time by creating out of the formless void, out of the darkness, out of the great deep. He speaks light into existence. His voice is always generative, always creating, always life-giving. His voice pierces the darkness with the light and life of illumination. His voice separates the chaos and brings order. When He speaks, it is so - and it is good.
Maybe the last two years have felt like those days before the beginning for you - formless, void, dark, and deep. This Advent we remember once again, God is not overwhelmed by the darkness of the uncreated. We remember that God is so sovereign, so good, there is nothing that is outside of His ability to redeem, to restore, to bring order where there has been chaos, to bring light and life where there has been darkness and death.
In the creation narrative, only two chapters later we see our first parents make a decision to bring chaos where God has brought order. Adam and Eve bring death where God has brought life. But even this chaos and death cannot thwart the purpose and plan of God. God promises a day when He will once more set all things right. When Light will pierce the darkness of our sin. Where life will flow from One who will die once for all.
Where has God brought life where you have brought death?
Where has God brought order to Your chaos?
As you enter into the chaos of the holiday season, how might you look for the illuminating work of God around you?
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