Episode #147 The Overlooked Significance of Genesis 1 Will Change Your Life – Cultivate Wonder

Hey friends, it's Jen. Thanks for joining me for another episode of Good God Talks. Today we're taking a unique look at our origin story as is recorded in Genesis. Now, for most of us, when we first start going to church or we first begin relationship with God, one of the beginning stories that we learn is the creation story that's recorded in Genesis one through three.

And that's especially true if you came to Christ or you started going to church as a little kid. We learn about the creation of the world, how God formed land and separated the water, how he created animals and fish and trees and humans in the creation of Adam and Eve.

But we're approaching this topic today from a different angle because our origin story holds more significance for us than most of us even realize.

See, Genesis tells of our creation. It is our origin story, how our world and humanity came to be. But the power of origin stories is that it sets the stage for how a culture views God.

I'm going to start us off by reading a quick excerpt from one of my poems, and it's part of my new collection, A Beckoning to Wonder: Christian Poetry Exploring God's Story. And the poem begins:

“Humans navigate by story light
on history-lit paths lined with hazard bulbs
and soft porch lamps,
origin stories travel well.

Every culture tells of creation,
legend to the map of their expectation
of how we came to be,
why we are here,
if there is a God and if so,
how divine interactions will go.

In the first words
of the first book
of God’s Holy Bible,
we meet our glorious God
of no beginning.” (Jen Weaver, “Origin Stories”, in A Beckoning To Wonder)

Genesis tells of our creation. Our origin story, how our world and humanity came to be. But I always read that story looking for me, looking for humanity, looking to see all of the different things that God created. And yes, to marvel at his power but really to understand what it meant for my world.

But the power of origin stories is that it sets the stage. It lays the foundation for how a culture views God. We get to approach the story of Genesis to look for God on display. And I didn't know that until the past couple of years.

I approached the story of Genesis seeing nature on display, seeing creation, seeing humans. And yes, God was there. But my focus was on what the Creator was creating. But instead, our focus can shift, and we can turn our perspective to the Creator. The verse I have for us today is actually only the first four words of the Bible.

Genesis 1:1 begins, “In the beginning God.”

Yes, it continues to tell us who God is and what he's like through what he does. But we're taking these few minutes today to begin at the very beginning with our eyes fixed on God.

I found that my approach to Genesis carries through in many different areas of my life. A lot of my attention was focused inward and down toward created things, toward me, toward what God was doing for me.

And that continued in other areas of my life. I would look for what God was doing in my present circumstance. I would look at what I needed for how I was hoping God was going to show up for me.

That's not wrong. But that's only part of the beautiful picture of who God is.

In a greater perspective, we can look and see God on display from the very beginning. To look and see who he is and how he shows that to us in our origin story.

If you have a few minutes, I encourage you, read or listen to Genesis chapters one through three.

We see God humbling himself to put his hands in dirt, to craft humanity. God was not far away, but he was present. Sovereign in his decisions, in his creation. He was creative as he formed all that we see in the world around us.
Active, not passive, and he has always been for us.

And so today's invitation is simply to direct our attention toward him in a fresh way. Notice our God of no beginning there, present with us in the beginning, God.

I wonder what else he wants to tell you about this. Let's take a minute and ask him.

God, what else do you want to show me about yourself? As I recognize you were here before and at our beginning.

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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