It has a beginning .... and an end.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

As an old science teacher, I know that the three foundations that we use to explain the physical universe are time, space, and matter. In Genesis 1:1 God established them. "In the beginning" , bereshith, marks the beginning of time. God is timeless, so time is meant for man. One of the first lessons about time is that if it has a beginning, it also has an end. Time is very important as it provides us with a reference frame. We know how long to cook food because of time and we can gage travel because of time. It is also a reminder for us to take care of the really important things in life while there is yet time. as the Psalmist writes, "teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom".

The days of our lives are seventy years and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow. For it is soon cut off, and we fly away ... so teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. -  Psalm 90:10-12

It helps us to know that our time here on earth is not limitless. From the first of creation, God wanted man to know he only had so much time to find God. Scripture warns, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart" - Hebrews 3:7. None of us know exactly when our time here will run out, so Today is the time to make our lives right with God.

The next step in creation was to create the heavens, shamayim, which means expanse, or space. The heavens contain the air that we need to live. Likewise, God wants us to be aware that our life is dependant upon heaven. We were destined to be citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) and our Father is in heaven (Matthew 6:9). Even though we lost that heritage through the seduction of Satan, God has made a way for us to recover it through Jesus, our Messiah. He paid the ultimate price for our sin, rose from the grave, defeating death, and is coming back from heaven to reclaim those of us who have repented of sin and claimed Him as our Lord. (Acts 1:11).

Thirdly, God created earth, eretz. This word can have several meanings, land, earth, or matter. Here it is referring to matter, as the earth itself is not formed until the third day. This matter was formless, chaotic, and empty so, the Spirit of God began to hover over the face of the deep. We know now that all energy is vibrational in nature so, the Holy Spirit was imparting the energy that would be needed bring form and function to God's creation. From the beginning God has told us that it will take the work of the Holy Spirit to give meaning to our lives. He alone can impart the energy that is needed to transform us from meaningless existence to a life full of form and function. He is the 'anointing' that teaches us the truth concerning all things (1 John 2:27).

Finally, God released light.

Then God said, "Let there be light", and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. - Genesis 1:3-5

Light combined with the moving of the Holy Spirit to bring forth form, function, and life! The sun, moon, and stars were not created until the fourth day, which flies in the face of evolutionary science. Light is something more than just a nuclear reaction taking place in the stars! Even today, man does not have complete understanding of what light is. One theory says it is vibrational waves of energy and another says it is bundles of energy called quanta. The strange thing is, both theories work. Obviously, light is something more than either of these theories can explain.

The Psalmist writes, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge ...their line (sound) has gone out through all the earth." (Psalm 19:1-4). The creation of God can lead even the dullest of us back to Him, if we but humble ourselves and listen. Part of their message says, "Come to the Light and live". Vegetation doesn't do well without light and animals don't last long without it. Neither can we get along without it!

I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. - John 8:12

All we see around us is not just an accident. It was designed for a purpose, a giant screen portraying one message - "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me"  (John 14:6). Jesus is calling out to you, "Come out of darkness into the Light.". I pray you will hear the declaration of creation today, for you have no guarantee on when your time here will end.

Pastor Charles Cooley
7/8/08