Genesis 1:1-19 (NRSV)
Read Genesis 1:1-19 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, Verse 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
Verse 3Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. Verse 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Verse 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Verse 6And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." Verse 7So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. Verse 8God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
Verse 9And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. Verse 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Verse 11Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. Verse 12The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. Verse 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
Verse 14And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, Verse 15and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it was so. Verse 16God made the two great lights-the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night-and the stars. Verse 17God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, Verse 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. Verse 19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
Devotion
I am struck by the image of God moving back the waters to let the dry land appear on the third day of creation. The waters symbolize chaos and disorder; like the waters of a flood that cannot be contained, so the waters in the text threaten the order of creation. But God pushes back the waters, and dry land—along with life in plants and trees—appears.
There are many “waters” that threaten to detract from the life God intends for us. Are there any in your life? The good news for us is that God can control those waters, giving us the gift life intended for us.
Prayer
Holy God, we praise you for your gift of life. When the waters we face in life threaten to overwhelm us, help us to turn to you for protection, and grant us that we may know the life you intend for us. Amen.