View of God

Beginnings can bring sweet memories and present celebrations. Mister Bill and I are remembering our beginnings this month as we celebrate fifty years of marriage. It's really hard to believe where we are today from those early "beginning" days. God's word to us begins with "in the beginning" - at the first, in the first place. What follows is simply all we have of God's creation account, "God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1 NASB). It's only natural we wonder at the how, longing for details YET that's all we are given. Dr. J. Vernon McGee says there are only two divisions men fall into at this wonder about the beginning as described in Genesis 1, and those divisions are "creation or speculation." I suggest if we lean more to speculation than faith in a right view of The Creator, we will miss Who God is throughout the rest of His Word. Those first four words - "in the beginning God" - challenges our belief in who God is, and we better get it right or we'll be speculating about many things instead of embracing the faith required to [likewise] embrace God Himself. The Scriptures are "inspired by God ... beneficial for teaching ... for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16 NASB). God's words to us in Genesis 1 are not a lesson in the sciences - geology, biology - rather, they challenge us in the matter of faith in The Creator Who is all-wise, all-mighty, all-knowing. This is the God of The Bible, and the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8) dispensed to those who, through His Son Jesus, trust Him in all things. A. W. Tozer speaks of the Believer's "low view of God," which will show-up not only in our faith but in our worship and obedience to Him. Perhaps now is a good time for us to go back to "in the beginning" and carefully consider how we see God as Creator then examine our own ... view of God.