Weekly Devotional
Peace Series: Something from Nothing (Volume I Devotional #020)
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”
Genesis 1.1-3
The painting above is an artist’s depiction of the Creation as recorded within the Scriptures.1 In this painting, I see a great illustration communicated by the artist of the Holy Trinity. We see this being illustrated in the painting, but most certainly we see it being communicated within the very first few verses of the entire Word of God. The Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all present before the creation of the light being spoken into existence by the mechanical wave of the voice from the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Elohim.2 However, what we do not see, or rather, what many often overlook is that the original language of the Scripture in this passage communicates very clearly in a thought that in the moment before God said, “Let there light,” there was absolutely nothing in existence that God used to create what now presently exists. Think of it, my beloved reader, no sun, no moon, no stars, no ground to stand on, no atmosphere to breathe, no elements from the Periodic Table, no, my beloved reader, there was nothing in existence, there was only God, the Great Cause of all that exists, the One and Only, I AM.3
Consider, for a moment, my beloved reader, what this actually means. The concept or term used by theologians to describe God creating something from nothing is called, creatio ex nihilo.4 This theological doctrine is foundational to Christianity, because it highlights God’s absolute power as well as His transcendence, and it distinguishes God as the infinite Creator from the finite creation as well as prevents the idea that God is the universe or that He does not exist. Unfortunately, too many have lost sight of this foundational belief in the power of God. However, I am here to tell you, my beloved reader, this doctrine is so very important in so many different ways.
There is a great peace that comes over the life of the believer when he/she realizes that their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is able to create something from nothing. First and foremost, when we know this to be true, we are truly able to take to heart what our Lord taught about worrying.
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.5
The thought of the fact that our God and Savior Jesus Christ6 creatio ex nihilo grants to us no wavering doubt that all that we possess, all that we are, all that exists in our lives from now and until the end of time is the direct result of Christ speaking it into existence into our lives. Think of it, my beloved reader, all that we need, and everything that exists in your life is yours given to you by God. There is no need to fret, you have no need for what others have, because what the Lord has given to you has, especially, been given to you, it was created from nothing to exist in your life. Let God work through you in the Person and Work of the Holy Ghost to empower you to make great the wonderful people and earthly treasures He has provided in your lives to bring glory to Christ to the world.
As we face the new week, consider that the Lord and Savior of your life, Jesus Christ, is well aware of all your needs for food, shelter, and clothing. In addition, realize that as a Child of the Most High the Lord is moved with compassion for all of His children7 and the provision we receive is not just enough to get by, but comes with overabundance8 to those who “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,”9 and then, you will truly know that God is alive and manifesting Himself in your life.
Prayer: Great benevolent Father in heaven, we ask for Your forgiveness for not having faith in Your omnipotent power to provide for our needs. We know, Father, that You possess all things within the palm of Your great and awesome hand. May we never lose sight of the fact that all things are Yours and we are Your children and just as every Father loves and provides for His children, so You too, provide for all those who seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness, Who is Jesus Christ. All that we are and all that we have is from You, may we always give You glory, honor, and praise in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
This week’s memory verse from the Weekly Devotional is Psalm 37.25:
I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.
Read: Genesis chapters 1-2.
See: James, Strong, “Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary of the Old Testament,” The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1990), 430.
†Author’s Note: The parsing of this word “Elohim” from the original language reveals to us that it is written as a nominative noun in the plural and masculine form. God the Father, Who is the subject deciding to speak, “God said,” the Spoken Word, Who is the Son, gave work to the Holy Ghost to produce light in a universe where light never previously existed.
Read: Colossians 1.9-23; John 17; Exodus 3.13-15; and John 8.48-58.
The Biblical and theological term used to describe God creating everything in the universe from nothing is a Latin term called, creatio ex nihilo, meaning, “creation out of nothing.” This doctrine asserts that the universe was not formed from pre-existing matter but was brought into existence from nonexistence by God’ sovereign command, His Spoken Word. The notion that God created all things from the nonexistence of anything is further emphasized in Scripture by the author of Hebrews, where it is stated, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11.3, NKJV). This communicates to us that a divine command brought all into existence, simply by God speaking it into existence.
Matthew 6.25-34, NKJV.
Read: Titus 2.11-14.
Read: Matthew 14.13-21.
Read: Matthew 14.20.
Matthew 6.33, NKJV.