“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The truth that a personal God created the universe and man permeates the entire Bible. From Genesis to Revelation God’s creative power is referred to often. God not only created all things, He also sovereignly rules over His possession. He certainly has that right. Yet the awesomeness of this fact concerning our Creator God should not keep us from seeing the practical side to this truth. The truth concerning our Creator God was Paul’s missionary message. In Acts 17:15–34, Paul is given an opportunity to preach on Mars’ hill in Athens. Where does one begin when encountering those who prided themselves on their knowledge of humanistic philosophies? He began with creation. “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth . . . seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. . . . Should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us” (vv.24,25,27). The God of creation is the Lord of salvation. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. . . . Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]” (II Corinthians 4:6; 5:17). We praise God for the marvels of the external creation around us, but even more for the marvels of new creation within us. The God of creation is our ever-present help. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1,2). The psalmist, David, understood that the same one who created all things “in heaven and earth” was also his very personal help in time of trouble. NPS
