Keep up the Good Work

There is something mysterious and awesome about the account of creation found in Genesis. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). There are not a lot of details in the creation story. Rather, we are given a broad, sweeping image. Yet, it seems that the total meaning of life is included in the story nonetheless.

Through this brief description we come to see some important aspects of the nature of God. For example, He is creative, loving and powerful all at the same time. God loves to work and He loves to rest. He is fully engaged with His creation, and He also gives His creation room to make their own choices. Many of the “big” themes in Scripture such as life, love, relationship, covenant, sin, salvation, death, restoration and victory are introduced to us in the first three chapters of Genesis. Indeed, the creation story sets the stage for everything that is revealed about God and humanity through the holy Scripture.

One of those insights is the way that God goes about creating. We see a pattern set up in verse two when it says, “the earth was without form, and void.” When God began his handiwork there was nothing, things were formless and empty. He proceeded to first form the expanse, the water and the land. Then He filled the newly formed areas with stars, planets, fish, plants, animals, and humanity. So, He forms then fills.

That is not just the pattern for the creation story, that is the pattern of our Creator. He broods over the waters of our lives, over the empty places, and forms them for His purposes and then fills them with His goodness. That is what He did then, and that is what He does now.

It is not only what God does, it is also what He calls us to do, what He empowers us to do. Your calling is much greater than your vocation. He wants you to allow the Holy Spirit to work through you in the lives of those around you. He is calling you to join Him in brooding over the waters of their lives, over the empty places, in order to fill them with the goodness of God. God created all of this and said it was good. Now He wants us to keep up the good work.