The God of light
Genesis begins:
1 vs 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Genesis begins in darkness, no form, emptiness¡K. So a question for everyone gathered here this morning (but please do not raise your handsƒº), How many here this morning are in complete darkness, empty, and without form?? Notice I have not asked if you feel like this, but if in reality you actually are literally dark, empty and without form. We may have struggles and suffer with many issues over the course of our lifetime, but there is often a difference between how we feel and reality. I asked this question simply to give you a foundation for the rest of your lives¡K no matter where you have come from, no matter the darkness, you have started this life in a better state than the earth. And this should give you hope today because since God can make all things from nothing, there is nothing to big or too small for Him to accomplish in your life.
To move from darkness to light with God requires simply hearing His Word, allowing Him to create as He chooses, and listen as He speaks over you the goodness of His work. There are three simple concepts present in the creation story, and these will give us all we need to see God move in each of our lives.
1. God always speaks the Truth first "And God said¡K
Whether we hear the voice of God as we read the scriptures, in the still small voice of our devotional time, throughout our day, or through the voice of another person, God will always speak to us before anything happens. It is His pattern throughout the entire scriptures cover to cover, He always speaks before He moves.
God speaks first to Moses in Exodus about a plan to deliver His people (Ex 3)
God speaks to Joshua and the enter the promised-land (Joshua 1)
God speaks to Gideon before the deliverance of Israel (Judges
God speaks to Samuel before He chooses the king (David) I Samuel 16
God speaks to the prophet in Ezekiel 37 (valley of dry bones)
God speaks to Mary and she becomes pregnant (Luke 1)
We as a people need to hear the voice of God so that we will know what we believe and have confidence for the circumstances in our lives. Hearing His voice begins simply by reading the Word and spending time talking with God¡K it grows and becomes much more clear from that simple beginning.
2. God causes the work to be accomplished in us¡K "vs 3 and He separated, vs 7 and God made, vs 16 God made, vs 25 God made¡K etc.
God delivered the people of Israel (recorded in the book of Exodus)
God flooded the earth as He promised Noah (Gen 6)
The dry bones become a living army (Ez 37)
God was born as a child through Mary (Luke 2)
It is the work of Christ in us that gives us hope, we are simply stewards just like Adam and Eve in the garden, called to steward the fullness and gifts of God as He creates. As God speaks truth in your life, you will have a choice how you steward that truth, when He declares that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, who do you believe? Some of us are waiting for a MOVE OF GOD in our lives and this morning I give you this word, He has already spoken it over your life, it is now up to you to decide whether you will let Him move and work in you to accomplish what he has declared.
3. God always responds to darkness by creating/bringing light
Notice that in this first book, each day does not begin in the evening the way we would speak ¡K no the bible is written very purposefully, and the day starts with darkness and ends with light¡Kvs 5 "And there was evening, and there was morning¡Xthe first day." I encourage you to search the scriptures and find anywhere that God moves, works, or influences people where there is not movement form darkness to light¡K when the world is disgusting in Genesis chapter 6 God speaks to a man, moves among that family, and a story that begins in darkness and foul sin is concluded with a rainbow and a promise.
Here are some other scriptures for you to consider as we go through this week and year¡K God always brings light to darkness, he is not finished until there is light!!
- John 1:1-4
- The Samaritan woman (John 4)
- Jesus walks on water and immediately they get to shore as He steps in (John 6:16-21)
- A woman caught in adultery (john 8)
- The man born blind (john 9)
- Death and resurrection of Lazarus (John 11)
For some of you here this morning, you need to take a moment and reconnect with the Father, you have been listening to the voices of friends, family, yourself and others but you have not let the voice of Truth bring hope and peace to your circumstances. Listen as he speaks to you once again, and be willing to receive the Truth as He speaks it.
Others of you have heard some of what God has for you but you are resisting His creative power at work in you. You are holding to familiar paths of the mind, you choose to accept the identity spoken over you by others, to accept the "truth" of your life by what has been (the past). I encourage you, not one of us can help you soften your heart before God, but each of you can choose once again today to soften your hearts and allow Him to move and create inside you once again. Trust in His goodness and faithfulness to bring fullness to your life, hope for the difficult seasons, and peace for the past. Allow Him to bring full fruit to every area of your life, and remember that fruitfulness is a work of the Spirit in you as you allow the flow to move from your head to your toe, from your roots to your branchesļ.
And some of you need to be encouraged to hold on, this season has been a long one, the process seems to be taking forever but the timing of God is always perfect and you will reap in "DUE SEASON" but you must not faint. Do not let the weariness of this season overwhelm you, call out to the Father who will sustain you and receive encouragement from your brothers and sisters in Christ who walk with you until He brings the harvest!! He declares when "IT IS FINISHED" when it is good, until that time for this particular season do not give up, do not give in, and do not leave the path H has set for your feet¡K Trust in Him, lean not on your own understanding, and He will bring it to pass.
Let me pray a short blessing over us as the team comes and leads us in one more song before we leave this palce..
