Stress Test Devotional May 25
May 25, 2024
GENESIS 1:1-2, 6-10 | 1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
6 And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
The vast seas, with their rolling waters and unchartered depths, were a symbol of disorder and chaos for ancient near eastern people. In Psalm 74:12-14, we meet the many headed Leviathan, the enemy of human sailors, who God subdues. In Genesis 1-2, the watery void is conquered, as order comes to the earth’s formless regions, with sky and sea and land being separated and brought into distinctive relation.
Still today, the oceans evoke fear, with their vast scale and hidden terrain and myriad invisible creatures. The bible recognizes elements of chaos within the order of creation and within the realm of history.
How do you picture chaos?
Rejoice that the natural world has physical and chemical laws that bring order to our world.
