Imagine opening a book, and the very first page does not tell you about the problem, the hero, or even the conflict. It tells you about the author, the one who wrote the story, who knows the ending, and who holds the power to make it all come together.

The book of Genesis and the entire Bible do not start with humanity, or sin, or with some other questions.

It all begins with God.

Before there was all of humanity to rescue, there was the one true God who reigns. Genesis teaches us that the story of God’s rescue plan did not begin with human failure. It began with divine faithfulness. We must begin with God in our understanding of living life. Before anything was created, God was already eternal, faithful, and sovereign.

God is Eternal

“In the beginning God….” Genesis begins by assuming God’s existence. There is no explanation, argument, or defense about this truth. Simply stated, God is already there. God does not come into being. God does not evolve, and God does not respond to circumstances. He simply is.

So, before there was time, or matter, or even space, there was God Himself. God is eternal.

Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” This is one of the clearest presentations of God’s eternality in all of scripture.
Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity…” God does not merely last forever…He inhabits eternity!
II Peter 3:8 says, “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” God’s relationship to time is not like our own.
Revelation 1:8 says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord…” God encompasses all time.

Understanding that God is eternal, we must also recognize then that God’s rescue plan did not begin in Genesis 3, but that it actually began in the eternal heart of God! How else could we understand other passages of scripture?

Ephesians 1:4, where it is revealed God chose His church before the foundations of the world.
II Timothy 2:9 emphasizes this same truth with, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given in Christ Jesus before the world began.”
I Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8; Matthew 25:34.

Have you ever seen a mountain in the distance? Storms sweep across it, seasons change, winds howl, but the mountain remains. Its size and strength are not affected by what happens around it.

Our faith does not rest in shifting ideas or ever-changing circumstances. Our faith rests securely in the unchanging eternal God! Have your circumstances filled you with uncertainty? Have your constantly changing finances, growing medical issues, occupational struggles, and relational conflicts overwhelmed you with anxiety and insecurity? Anchor your hope in the God who existed before every problem we face materialized. He has been there from the beginning and has not left you alone (Heb. 13:5).

God is Purposeful

“In the beginning God created….” God’s work of creation was not random. It was purposeful. God created with design, direction, and meaning.

Here is the overriding truth:
the universe exists because God willed it to exist.

Creation has a beginning because God chose it.
Creation has an order because God designed it.
Creation has a purpose because God planned it.

Think about an architect designing a building. Every beam, every window, every room is carefully planned before the first brick is laid. Nothing is left to chance. If the architect had to react to problems as they came, the building would be unstable, incomplete, or unsafe.

Nothing in Genesis 1 is accidental or reactionary, and redemption will not be accidental or reactionary as well! Creation has a purpose and so does human life. My life and your life are not accidental! You were created by God and He acts with intention. You are wanted. You are loved. God planned on your existence, and He has a purpose for you! Pursue God and know His purpose for your life! (Prov. 3:5-7; Matt. 6:33; I Cor. 10:31)

God is Sovereign

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This phrase packs more truth than we realize at first glance. “Sovereign” means that God reigns with complete authority over all that exists…and nothing in creation operates outside His rule, purpose, or permission. Nothing exists outside of His authority.

God rules over the seen and unseen (Col. 1:16; Ps. 103:19)
God governs what is formed and what is yet unformed (Job 26:7; Is. 45:7)
God reigns even when chaos seems to dominate (Ps. 46:2-3; Dan. 2:21)

Think about the work of an air traffic controller. Hundreds of planes are coming and going at the same time, sometimes in poor weather, sometimes delayed, sometimes changing course unexpectedly. To anyone watching it, it looks chaotic. Yet the controller sees it all, directs each plane safely, and ensures that everyone reaches their destination.

God is sovereign! He is never threatened by disorder. He will even turnabout chaos to accomplish His will. For example, in Genesis 37, 39-50, Joseph is sold as a slave, famine threatens the land, and God raises up Joseph in the world power of the day (Egypt) to organize famine relief.

This is the God who reigns over your life. This means that chaos is never a crisis for God! What feels out of control for us is never out of God’s control. God does not step back from the darkness and disorder. In Genesis 1, God steps into the darkness and disorder and by His word He brings life and order!

The circumstances you cannot explain, the season that feels unfinished, and the suffering that seems wasted does not intimidate God. What looks like delay to us becomes God’s design in His hands. We do not have to panic when culture shifts, when plans fall apart, when politics reveal corruption, and when our future feels unclear. Instead, we worship, we obey, and we trust the eternal, purposeful, sovereign God! Let’s consider 5 everyday ways we ought to live our lives now that we know God better.

5 Everyday Ways to Live Life Knowing God Better:

1. Trust God in times of uncertainty. We can rely on God when our circumstances feel out of control because God is eternal and sovereign. I Pet. 5:7; Ps. 11:4; Prov. 15:3.

2. Live with purpose. Align your daily choices with God’s purposes instead of drifting aimlessly. Be purposeful because God is purposeful. Choose to embrace acts that serve the Lord and obey Him. Eph. 2:10; Prov. 16:3.

3. Worship God regularly. God alone deserves our praise and consecration because He is eternal. Do not allow your personal circumstances to rule your emotions and keep you from worshipping God every day. Ps. 95:6; Ps. 103:1.

4. Rest in God’s sovereignty. Nothing is outside of the control of our ever-present, all-knowing, all-powerful, eternally loving, and all-wise God! So, surrender your anxiety and control to God today. In those times of anxiety, pause for seasons of prayer and scripture meditation. Be comforted by the only One who knows it all better than you do! Prov. 16:33; Rom. 8:28-29.

5. Persevere in Hope. We can all have confidence in the future, even in times of suffering, because we know God is eternal, purposeful, and sovereign. Rehearse what you know of God’s ultimate plan (salvation, heaven, no more sin, no more sorrow, no more death, no more pain) and trust Him for the parts you cannot see. God was able to free Joseph was jail, deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians, protect Daniel in the lion’s den, calm the stormy seas with three words, and raise Lazarus from the dead. But remember, Joseph suffered as a slave and was wrongly accused for 13 years (Gen. 37:2; 41:46) before deliverance. Remember, the Israelites worked as the Egyptians’ slaves for about 400 years (Ex. 12:40-41) before deliverance. Remember, the dark night Daniel spent in a lion’s den was most likely surrounded by human remains and animal waste before deliverance. Remember, Lazarus was dead 4 days before Jesus raised him from the dead (Jn. 11:17). Sin has been a part of the world since Genesis 3 and it brings with it pain, brokenness, and hurt. The Lord often calls us to wait for deliverance while navigating those hard places.; however, He can and will deliver you as well! I Cor. 2:9; Is. 40:31.

When you begin with God and who He truly is, everything else in life has direction, purpose, and peace (even in times of chaos). Jospeh is described as one with the favor of the Lord. The Israelites cried out for deliverance, and Daniel rested in God while in the lion’s den. Turn to God today, rehearse who He truly is, and rest in Him!