Read Scripture Devotional: Week 1

Readings: Genesis 1-22

Note: While we follow the Read Scripture reading plan and use the app this year as a church I’ll occasionally post reflections to help people along the way.

Don’t miss how radical the beginning of Genesis actually is.

For many of us the first few chapters bring up big questions like, “How old is the earth really?” and “Did God create the world in six literal days?” These are important questions and bigger than we can tackle here, but in asking these questions we shouldn’t miss the most obvious and most profound truth presented here:

The world was designed. By God. It has order and purpose behind it.

In our culture today the prevailing view is that there is no real purpose to the universe or to the world. Instead, the best we can do is try to make it mean something for ourselves. But this is so frustrating because we think, “This can’t all just be random and meaningless, right?” We’re used to applauding the latest design innovation from Apple or a new sound from the radio or even a drawing from our 4-year-old. All those have clear designers. But we have no idea what to do with sunsets or the waves of the ocean or shooting stars.

The beginning of Genesis says something radical: the world was made, carefully and beautifully. Blades of grass are beautiful by design. DNA is breathtaking by design. Galaxies are mind-boggling by design.

While we have many questions about the early chapters of Genesis, and Bible-loving people can disagree about some of these things, let’s stand in awe together of what is clear. The world is not pointless. And that means our lives are not pointless.

Genesis goes on to describe how humanity has wrecked the world and how we marred and disfigured God’s good design. But in the same breath Genesis gives us hope that the design can be restored.

Reflection: Where can you still see the glorious design of God all-around you? Take moments this week to stop and stare at what God has made. Allow it to remind you that the universe is not meaningless and neither is your life. God has a design for the universe and for you. What would change if you truly believed that?

Want to join our reading plan as a church? Download the Read Scripture app or print the reading plan for yourself