The God of the Good
(Journey Thru Genesis Devotional)

Genesis 1:20-31

Watching the Weather Channel for anything other than the weather report is a significant clue that you’re wasting time. But as the threat of yet another baseball strike loomed, I decided to boycott ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. The History Channel (my favorite!) was documenting the story of the assembly line. So, forgive me for finding Category 4 hurricanes riveting.

During the show on catastrophic weather, the phrase “act of God” sneaked its way into the narration. That choice of words intrigued me. Why is it that we call natural calamities “acts of God”?

Certainly the power of nature demonstrates God’s strength. But we often try to blame God for bad things. That’s what Adam tried to do way back in the Garden.

“The woman You put here with me,” Adam said after God confronted him with his sin (Genesis 3:12), “she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it [so it’s Your fault, God, and hers too].” Okay, so Adam didn’t say that last part, but he was thinking it!

We look at the Holocaust and ask, “How could God let this happen?” We ask why God lets terrorists fly into buildings in their misguided quest for paradise.

The consequences of the fall of the human race are too huge to discuss here. But the terrible things in the world are not God’s fault. The world He designed was paradise!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” says the very first line of Scripture (Genesis 1:1). The creative acts of God are outlined for us in the succeeding verses, always with this phrase: “God saw that it was good.” The plants and the trees were pronounced good. The sun, moon, and stars: good. The birds and fish: good. The other living creatures: good. Human beings: very good.

Next time you’re in the great outdoors, or just talking with a friend (who is made in God’s image), remember the wonderfully creative acts of God. It’s a fallen world. But what God created is good! —Tim Gustafson

bottom line: God is good—all the time.

soul journey