Solid Ground

 

Genesis 1:9-13

 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning, the third day.

               Have you ever felt like you were treading water, like you are in an ocean of despair, of hopelessness, of financial trouble, or relationship issues? Just like God raised dry land out of the water during creation, he will raise a dry, strong foundation for you to land on as well. Psalm 40:2 says, “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

               In Matthew 7:24-27, we read a tale of two houses. The first house is built on a solid foundation, the wind blows, and the rain pours, but this house stands strong. The second house is built on sand, a weak foundation, the wind blows, and the rain pours, and this house is washed away. From this story, we can see that our lives need to be built on a solid foundation, something consistent; if it is not, we will fall.

               How do we build this foundation? Where can we find this rock on which to build our lives? Simply, look to Jesus; “…the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus is the founder of our faith, the rock on which we stand (Matthew 7:24-27). We build on this foundation through our faith; we build our faith by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). As we connect more to the Word of God and His promises, our faith foundation will be made stronger, and our house (our lives) will be able to weather the storms that come our way.

               There is something that makes our foundation even stronger, even more reliable, and even more trustworthy; “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11) Jesus IS our foundation! Through him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). If we lock into Jesus, we will stand, we will not be moved, and we will come out victorious every time.

 

In what way can you strengthen your faith today?

 

The Sky is the Limit

Genesis 1:6-8 (ESV)

“And God said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’  And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.  And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening, and there was morning, the second day.”

               Firmament, expanse, vault, the blue; whatever you call it, on the second day God created the sky. He didn’t just say, “Poof!” and there was a sky, though. No, God did a little more separating.

               The Bible says, paraphrased, of course, that God separated the waters; there were waters above the sky and below the sky. The water below the expanse would encompass all the water we can see today, including the oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, and other bodies of water. The waters above the sky could refer to clouds and atmospheric moisture or a now non-existent vapor canopy that surrounded Earth. For our purposes, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that God separated the water above from the water below. In separating the waters, He began to create order from the chaos. How does this apply to our lives today?

               God is not the author of confusion, or as the amplified Bible puts it in 1 Corinthians 14:33, He is not the author of “confusion and disorder” but of “peace and order”. Since the beginning, through the seven days of creation and every moment since then, God has been leading this world to peace and order. Now we haven’t obeyed or listened to Him very well, but God has been leading.

               Maybe you have some things that need to be separated in order to calm the chaos. Your job and your faith aren’t mixing very well, your friend makes too many jokes that don’t sit well with you, or that book you are reading is weakening your marriage. Whatever the case, God can separate what isn’t bringing or going to bring you peace and order, but you must surrender first. God isn’t going to snatch the thing out of your hand; He wants you to trust Him enough that you will willingly hand it over. After you surrender the thing that is creating chaos and disorder in your life, don’t try to take it back. God will let you have it if you want it. He isn’t going to force you to do anything; he wants you to choose for yourself.

               Letting go of those chaos makers is scary at first, but in the end, it will bring you such relief and freedom. You can wake up in the morning and breathe freely.

 

               Let’s say this prayer together.

               Father, I know I have things in my life that create the disorder that I tend to complain about every day. Shine the light of the Holy Spirit on these areas and give me strength to separate from them. Lord, when you have parted the chaos and confusion from the peace and order, help me to leave it in your hands. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

What are the areas in which God has revealed a need for separation?

Light and Darkness are Separated

Genesis 1:3-5 (ESV)

“And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.”

               “Let there be light,” the four words that started it all! These are the first words we know of God saying. He could have said anything: “Wake up, World.” Or “Boo!” and whatever His intentions, they would have come to fruition.

               I don’t think God does anything unintentionally. Therefore, He chose those specific words for a reason. Sure, the reason was that He wanted some light, though we could glean a deeper meaning.  Remember, the sun and moon have not been created yet; we are a few days away from that. So, what God did in verses 3-5 was separate the light and the darkness. He gave a distinction between the two. Notice that when God saw that the light was good, He immediately separated them. Light and darkness cannot coexist.

(2 Corinthians 6:14)” Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" As God separated light from darkness in the beginning, we, too, need to separate ourselves from all things related to darkness. Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” In this verse, “woe” means great sorrow or distress. Great sorrow and distress for those who put darkness for light and vice versa. I don’t know about you, but I want to avoid woe at all costs!

               Paul said, ^“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.^” We are the light of the world! (Matthew 5:14) We cannot partner with darkness, we cannot flirt with evil, and we cannot hide our light. What would have happened if God had not divided the light and the darkness? We wouldn’t have day and night. What happens if we do not keep ourselves separated from the darkness of this world? There will be no distinction between us and the world; we will have no light to shine the way to Jesus.

Take heart, all is not lost. God will always be there to help us stay in His light. We can find an exciting bit of encouragement for this light from dark journey, in John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Yes, the darkness exists, and it cannot coexist with light. When the light of God shines through us, the darkness does not have a chance!

 

What is some darkness you may be letting into your life? Will you let God’s light shine on these things

 

When I Wake…

When I wake, the world is new—

Endless choices shining through.

I can be an artist, bold and free,

Or a bird, soaring far above the sea.

I may become a whispered breeze,

Dancing softly through the trees.

Or a dreamer with eyes wide open,

Building hopes that can't be broken.

Each morning brings a chance to see

The endless things that I can be.

So when I rise, I promise me:

I'll always choose what sets me free.