God Said

I rarely read the Bible from book to book. Usually I camp out in one book for a while and then skip to a different one that seems to be calling my name. Admittedly I find myself hanging out in the New Testament most of the time - although I do so love Isaiah and the Psalms.

Last night, on a whim to be different, I started at the beginning. You know, THE beginning. Genesis 1:1.

The first four words alone are enough to captivate me for some time: "In the beginning God . . ."

I thought I knew the Creation story backwards and forwards thanks to years of flannel trees, stars and animals forever etched in my Sunday school memories. But as I read through the familiar story some particular words grabbed my attention.

Take a little looksie with me:

6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

This pattern continues in the same way for the rest of God's creation. In the rhythm of this accounting I find a most reassuring truth. Look again:

6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

God said.

And it was so.

Beautiful, yes? Such power, such reassurance, such faithfulness packed into six glorious words.

We know that God's character is unchanging (Hebrews 6:17-18) and all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 2:16). Therefore what He speaks, well, is so.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

God said. And it is so.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

God said. And it is so.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3

God said. And it is so.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

God said. . . Well. I think you get the idea.

In this world of relativity, this culture of confusion, how beautiful the truth becomes. And God is truth. (Psalm 31:5) He said so.



[quotes taken from biblegateway.com ; all italics and emphases mine]