Day 37. Thoughts on God, nature, us.

Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” What is God up to these days in this creation?  Some people don’t believe God is working unless they can experience firsthand a miraculous interruption in a natural process or reversal of a negative circumstance. Others think that nature itself is god and god is in all of nature, so then nothing really counts as miraculous since god is everything. The Bible, however, teaches that God is not part of creation, rather He is apart from created things. However, God does actively sustain all things. For a way over-simplified example, I can pick up a ball and hold it in my hand. If I stop holding it? You are brilliant. Yes. It will fall. What if nothing material existed? No atoms. No elements. No gases. No solids. No Planets. No Water. How would something come into existence? Re-read Genesis 1:1.

Just like a ball cannot resist the force of gravity, our universe does not show any evidence of being able to come into existence without some initial cause. Likewise, just like a ball doesn’t hover above the ground without something (or someone) holding it up, the universe is sustained by God. Colossians 1:17 says this about Jesus: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” All things are held together by Jesus, aka God in the flesh. Amazing. God became part of His creation by taking on flesh, while having the power to hold His creation together, or keep the ball from dropping if you will. God sustains life. We are existing why? Because He says so. Hebrews 1:13a says [Jesus] “is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”

You think you have a lot to keep track of during the day? God is infinite wisdom. He is infinite power. He is everywhere present, not in creation, but rather sustaining His creation. God is not in all nature and all of nature is not god like Hindus and other pantheists believe. God did not light a fuse and walk away to let chance determine the outcome of a big bang either. A personal God, personally created. An orderly God, suffered disorderly people. A patient God, patiently acted to bring about His plan of redemption in Jesus. God came in the flesh and conquered sin in the flesh to oay the price of punishment in the place of sinful people. Nature is only part of God’s creative activity. The miracle of the incarnation (God becoming fully human as well as fully God) of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus are not just part of nature, these miracles allow all of nature to one day be perfected along with every person who trusts in the Personal, Patient, Perfect Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. God is working. Miracles can happen. But even when we don’t see them, God is working by sustaining the universe, even you! God is working in the hearts of men. God is working through the speaking and hearing of His word. In the beginning God created. In the meantime God is sustaining and saving.