Message summary: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

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“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3). “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11).

In the fall season I enjoy cleaning up our lawn. I pull up annuals and trim everything that I think should be trimmed, and according to Brooksyne some things that shouldn’t be. I sort of like our yard to have a crew cut look in the fall and through winter. Then I rake it up, load up the trailer on our garden tractor and ride down the long farm lane to dispose of the vegetative debris from a long summer of growth. These piles of biodegradable waste will enrich the soil and gives me satisfaction as a good steward of the earth’s resources.

You never know what you might see living quietly among the vegetation when you pull it up. I could easily have missed it, but at least one plant had a praying mantis clinging to the vine. It was easy to overlook due to the way it blended into the background. Of all the shades of green it’s amazing to me and a testimony to the Creator/Designer of how well the colors on the praying mantis matched the colors of the plant. But an evolutionary worldview would draw an entirely different conclusion based on the observation of the praying mantis I saw.

There’s so much debate and disagreement about our origins, even among those who profess faith in Christ. That's been the case for many years, certainly all my life, and the understanding of Genesis 1 is at the very heart of it. The issue is the truthfulness of these words in light of what modern science claims.

Simply put one view puts the primacy on modern science and seeks to interpret Genesis 1 in light of that, often changing the plain meaning of the text to fit. The other sees the primacy of the inspired, inerrant Bible and Genesis 1 and seeks to understand science in light of that.

I firmly adhere to the teaching of Scripture so succinctly expressed in question 9 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism answering the question: “What is the work of creation? The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good.”

We all start with some assumptions and beliefs and I wholeheartedly hold to the great faith statement that begins the first text of our Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth". Hebrews 11:3 states, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

I believe in the altogether intelligent (omniscient) Creator/Designer. Our third daily verse so powerfully states, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.”  Amen!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber