The creation story is your story! It's the proof that we are not accidents in the universe, and that God doesn't start anything without a plan.
Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." While it can be hard to understand, God had no beginning. He was never born. He has always existed. The creation story also makes it clear that He has always existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:1 is a reference to God the Father. Genesis 1:2 says the Holy Spirit was there too: "...the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." And Colossians 1:16 reveals Jesus was also part of creation: "For by him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth..."
Have you ever gone through a "shelter-in-place" or fire drill at school? If so, you probably realize schools do this so everyone has a clear plan to follow in the event of an emergency and to avoid confusion. God also has a clear plan, for He is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), and He proved it in the way He created everything. Take a look:
Notice that God created the two great needs of life on day 1: water and light. And He didn't create animals before He created the plants they would need so they could survive. God is a great God who plans even the smallest details for the care of those He creates.
Becoming a Christian in my teenage years required me to really look at everything through new eyes of faith. One of the challenging areas was the idea of evolution. My teachers had taught me for years that everything came about by one big, disorganized accident. Over time, I've realized that's not what Scripture says at all.
Some people support the idea of "theistic evolution," meaning that God used evolution to make everything. The issue is that no friendship can exist between evolution and God. Evolution is a theory that exists to explain everything without God. Looking at the creation story of Genesis 1-2, we read that God was actively involved in every step. Adam and Eve didn't develop from monkeys. Adam was created from the dust (Genesis 2:7), and Eve from one of Adam's ribs (Genesis 2:22).
Genesis 3 tells of how Adam and Eve's actions invited sin into their hearts. But that didn't change anything about God's plan. Remember, God has intentionally created everything. He made the universe, our planet, and even YOU with a purpose. He knew Adam and Eve would allow the serpent to deceive them. He knew humankind would continue to run from Him, yet because He loves His children despite their sin, He had a plan for them in place (John 3:16).
As God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..." (Jeremiah 1:5). God knows every part and every person in His creation. He knows you right now, and He created you to have a relationship with Him. He knows you're not a perfect person, but He sent His Son to offer humankind forgiveness because His ultimate purpose for your life is that you would be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4) to live a life of purpose and to spend eternity with Him forever!
* To be clear, this article does NOT refer to MICRO-evolution, which is evolutionary change within a species or small group of organisms, especially over a short period of time. Micro-evolution is a proven and observable fact of nature. This article concerns the origin of LIFE from the beginning—whether living things originated from an intelligent Creator or if they developed out of a primordial soup over a span of billions of years.
The creation story in the Bible is proof that we are not accidents in the universe, and that God doesn't do anything without a plan. He created water and time (day 1); the atmosphere (day 2); dry land, plants, and separated the seas (day 3); filled in the universe with stars, planets, sun, and moon (day4); created sea life (day 5); then created animal life and humans (day 6). On day 7, God stopped His work because Creation was as He had designed. Genesis 3 tells how Adam and Eve's actions invited sin into their hearts, yet even then, God had a plan to redeem humankind through Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:3-4).
Heath served as a youth pastor and speaker for over a decade around the United States. He now serves as a pastor in Northern Illinois with his wife and three teenage kids. Heath enjoys running, going out on dates with his wife, and helping people grow in their walk with Jesus!
