It was no accident

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This is the very first sentence of the Bible.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This is one of the best-known verses in the Bible.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This is one of the most important verses in all of Scripture.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

We dare not take these words for granted.

The problem is, for the most part we do. We take creation for granted. We take our creation for granted. But not everyone agrees.

THE HAND OF GOD

Where we see creation, others see an accident. Where we see the hand of God, others see a cosmic phenomenon. Where we see an act of God, others see a chemical reaction. Where we see the image of God, others see a biological evolution.

What we believe influences how we live. This is the true for the believer, and for the unbeliever. Is the universe here by accident? Did planet Earth come to life by luck? Are we humans here by chance?

If this is the case, we are on our own. If this is the case, we must make things up as we go. If this is the case, where does morality and meaning come from? Right and wrong can be decided by popular decision in the court of public opinion.

If we are here by accident, maybe the ancient saying is right: Let us eat, drink, and be merry. Tomorrow we die.

If this is the case, let’s be honest with ourselves. Do as you please—for as long as you can. Life has no meaning but what you make of it.

LET US NOT FOOL OURSELVES

As Christians we must not fool ourselves. This is what an increasing number of our fellow Americans believe. This number could include some of our co-workers, neighbors, friends, and perhaps—relatives.

Atheism is on the rise—and a number of atheists are increasingly vocal about their beliefs: It’s high time for humanity to grow up. We don’t need God to explain things anymore. The future is in our hands to fashion as we see fit.

I can understand the appeal of such a view. As scientists probe the mysteries of the universe and its origins, many seem to do just fine without God. As biologists look at life, evolution and natural selection rule the day. It can be hard to take a close look at history and current events and see the goodness of a Creator at work.

As Christians we need to be honest, atheism has a lot going for it.

And still, I can’t help but wonder: Do atheists sometimes experience their own kind of doubt? As they gaze up to the stars, do they sometimes have a sneaking suspicion? Must they fight the temptation that Someone must behind such beauty? As they travel in airplanes and look at the mountains, rivers, and forests below, must they guard against the thought that Someone is behind such splendor?

And perhaps most dangerous of all for the atheist: When they hold their newborn son or daughter for the very first time, must they struggle with all their might against the Word—we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

I imagine that even the most strident and ardent atheist can have their doubts at times.

DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This is the very first sentence of the Bible.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This is one of the best-known verses in the Bible.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This is one of the most important verses in all of Scripture.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

We dare not take these words for granted. The believers of old did not. Listen to what they proclaimed.

THE MARVEL OF IT ALL

Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds His chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.

He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at Your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of Your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place You assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of His work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the badger.

He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening.

How many are Your works, Lord! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.

All creatures look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works—He who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

So declares Psalm 104.

THE WONDER ALL AROUND US

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants You have established a stronghold against Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of Your hands; You put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

So declares Psalm 8

A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty; darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made. Without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

He came down from heaven, for our sakes and for our salvation. Jesus came to earth full of grace and truth. He came to bring about the new creation. It has already started. When He returns, there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

In the meantime, let us confess our faith:

I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.

Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Our deliverance comes from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.