Day 2 — In the Beginning

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

— Genesis 1:1 (BSB)

Have you ever built something amazing out of building bricks? Maybe a castle, a spaceship or a whole city. It’s fun. But think about it: before you could build anything, you needed the bricks. You didn’t make the bricks. You just put them together.

God is different. When God made the world, He didn’t start with a box of bricks. He started with nothing at all. No dirt, no water, no light, no space. Just God. And then God spoke, and everything began.

Read the first four words of the Bible again: “In the beginning God…” Before there was a beginning, God was already there. He didn’t have a birthday. Nobody made Him. He has always been, and He always will be. That’s hard for our brains to understand! Everything we know has a start: every person, every puppy, every tree. But God has no start and no finish.

Then look at what He made: “the heavens and the earth.” That means everything. The sun, the moon and every star. The oceans and the mountains. Giraffes and jellyfish and hummingbirds. Snowflakes, where no two are the same. The smell of rain. The color orange. All of it came from God’s imagination.

And here’s the best part. Later in Genesis 1, God made people, and He made them in His own image. Out of everything He created, people are the only ones made to know Him, talk with Him and love Him back.

So when you look at a sunset or a thunderstorm or a tiny ant carrying a crumb, remember: someone made that. Nothing you see is an accident. And the One who made it all also made you.

If God is great enough to make everything out of nothing, is there anything too hard for Him?

Think about it: What is your favorite thing God made? What does it tell you about what God is like?

Try this: Go outside (or look out a window) and find five things God made. Thank Him for each one by name.

Dear God, You were there before anything else existed. You made the heavens and the earth and everything in them, and You made me too. Thank You for this amazing world. When I see Your creation, help me remember how great You are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.