In the beginning you will find God

People love to ask big questions; we are a curious people who want to know why things work the way they do and why things are the way they are. 

There is nothing wrong with asking big questions. But when it comes to the biggest questions in life such as: Who am I? What’s my purpose? Does my life matter? Or, is there a God? Where do you go? Do you look within? Is it only found on some wild adventure? I believe those questions are questions that God knows we long for. 

Therefore, in his provision, the very beginning of the Bible sets out to answer those very questions. Now before you jump to the beginning of Genesis to find your life purpose, or to get an answer to a particular need in your life, let me remind you, God doesn’t start with you, or me, or us. It starts with himself. In fact, the very first words are, “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). 

The Bible is primarily a book about God, it’s a book about who he is, what he does, what he is like. Moreover, those opening lines communicate to us just what kind of God, God is. That God was in the beginning, he was not created, and he doesn’t need anything to be God. 

God is and always will be God. Theologians refer to this as the aseity of God. That God is not dependent on anyone or anything. 

Why does the Bible begin like that though? Because a rightful understanding of self, I believe starts with a rightful understanding of God. One flows from the other. Considering the original audience of the book of Genesis clarifies this even more. 

Moses, the author of Genesis, desired to communicate the critical aspects and knowledge of God to a people who had been slaves in Egypt for generations. He wanted them to know the God who had rescued them. Likewise, I desire to know the God who has rescued me through the person and work of Jesus Christ. As I understand this Savior God, I will begin to understand myself and this world. In doing so, I can rightly attempt to answer those questions. 

To be clear though, the Bible won’t answer everything you want to know, but it will answer everything you need to know. So, no matter where you are at, go to where the Bible starts. Because in the beginning you will find a God who knows all, but you will also find a God who has demonstrated who he is. 

Luke Wartgow is pastor at Carson Valley Bible Church