In the Beginning

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." (Genesis 1:1-2)

Being a science major and a Christian has its sticky situations, especially when it comes to the topic of evolution. Yet, I believe that the Christian view of how the earth was created is not in conflict with science, rather it is in conflict with the idea of how the universe started without a creator.

Everything that was created came from a creator. God is the creator. The Bible doesn't describe exactly every detail of how the earth came into place, which is ok because if we focused so much on that, then we loose the whole purpose of this statement, which is the origin of the creation. The world did not just appear by chance; God created it. The Bible not only tells us who created it, but most importantly it tells us who God is. Through His work and creation, we see God's personality, His character, His plan for His creation, and His deepest desire: To fellowship with us all.

So to say that the earth just happened or evolved actually requires more faith than to believe that God is the one who did it all. And God did not have to create the universe, yet he chose to. He chose to because He loves us, and He expresses His love by creating the universe and us.

Through God's creation, we see that He is organized in a way that He creates things in order. And when His work was done, God rested. As the creator, He is very creative and in control of everything. We also learn that as people, we are all valuable to Him because He chose to create us and He put us above any of His other creations. And by that, He made us rulers over the earth and the animals. We also see through His work God's power, as He SPOKE everything into existence!

Well if God created everything, then who created God? To ask this question is to assume there was another creator before God. But God is the infinite being who has always been and who was created by no one. This is difficult to understand because finite minds cannot comprehend the infinite. It is like trying to think of the highest number, which is impossible. Therefore, we shouldn't limit our infinite God to our finite understanding.

I tend to daydream a lot when looking around at God's creation. The stars are one of my favorite things that God has created on earth. Every time I see them, I think about God and how perfect and awesome His work is. I think about how smart He is in the way He wired the whole universe and life to work. People can reproduce and create things like cars, TVs, houses, and food, but no one in the entire universe can create or reproduce such great creations like God. We can grow a tree, but no one else can create a whole body of ocean or a huge mountain. We can make things similar to God's creation, like a spinning fan to give us breeze, but no one can make rain that falls from the sky. Only God can.

What's awesome to think about is that I know this God. God doesn't just create things and then just leaves us hanging, He wants to have a relationship with us. It's kind of like knowing someone famous or special who did such a great accomplishment or who you look up to. Like meeting Michael Jordan who was the inspiration of the Jordans Shoe Brand, meeting Michael Jackson who was the creator of the moon walk, or knowing Albert Einstein who discovered great theories and contributed a lot of work to science. I haven't met and will never meet these people or ever know them personally, but when I think about God, I can meet Him and know Him personally. I can talk to Him and know He listens. I can sing to Him and know He is smiling. I can have a relationship with Him and know He loves me. In all these things, I am truly blessed. I know my creator, not just the creator of anything, but the creator of ALL things. And He knows me. Most importantly, I know He loves me and I love Him. He is my God, and I am His. How awesome it is to know the one who did it all. How great to know that He loves us all. We will never know all the answers to how God created the earth, but the Bible tells us that God did create it. That fact alone gives worth and dignity to all people.

Dear God,
You are awesome!! I stand in awe of all your work and your creation. No one else can do it but you! Thank you for loving us all that you would think about us and create us. Thank you for showing your love through your creation, and for wanting to fellowship with us. Thank you for the truth that you are the creator of everything, and that you are in control. Lord, thank you for your Spirit that hovers over your creation.

~AMEN~