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?