Read: Genesis 1:1-19
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. (vv. 3-4)
The earth was without form, void of land, seasons, day and night, ebb and flow, color and fruitfulness. Covered in thick darkness, it was a shapeless, soupy chaos into which God spoke. Light was God’s first move, God’s first command—the first word of all the sacred words to come. Light, God calls good; but of the darkness, nothing is said except that it has been separated, contained, cordoned off from what is good.
It was Eugene Peterson who allowed me to see a connection between my own life and the dawn of creation. “God, make a fresh start in me,” he penned when paraphrasing David’s well-known psalm of confession. “Shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life” (Psalm 51:10 MSG).
I used to put a lot more stock in my own ability to control the chaos of my life. These days, I find I am under no such illusion. That is God’s work, not mine. Without God speaking light into my life, holding back the dark, and breathing life into the void, the face of the deep is just too much. The chaos will overwhelm if order is not spoken and genesis not called out, over and over again. —Amy Clemens
As you pray, confess your need for light as the new year dawns; a fresh genesis that orders and colors life according to God’s sacred words and will.
About the Author
With a bachelors in journalism from Texas Tech University and a masters from Western Theological Seminary, Amy Clemens enjoys all things writing, particularly about the life of faith. She is blessed with a family that includes husband Fred, five children, and five grandchildren.
Amy has just published her first book, "Walking When You'd Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall," which weaves her journey from childhood abuse toward healing and spiritual growth with a practical theology for the big story of God. You can find out more about the book and author at walkingwhenyoudratherfly.com.
