The God of Order 祂设立秩序

[Dexu Xia]

The earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2 nrsv

Seth took all the medications he could find in the medicine cabinet. Raised in a family filled with brokenness and disorder, his life was a mess. His mom was regularly abused by his father until his dad took his own life. Now Seth wanted to “just end” his own. But then a thought came to mind, Where do I go when I die? By God’s grace, Seth didn’t die that day. And in time, after studying the Bible with a friend, he received Jesus as his Savior. Part of what drew Seth to God was seeing the beauty and order in creation. He said, “I . . . see things that are just beautiful. Someone made all this.”

In Genesis 1, we read of the God who indeed created all things. And although “the earth was complete chaos” (v. 2 nrsv), He brought order out of disorder. He “separated the light from the darkness” (v. 4), placed land amid the seas (v. 10), and made plants and creatures according to their “kinds” (vv. 11-12, 21, 24-25). The One who “created the heavens and earth and put everything in place” (Isaiah 45:18 nlt) continues to, as Seth discovered, bring peace and order to lives surrendered to Christ.

Life can be chaotic and challenging. Praise God that He’s not “a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Let’s call out to Him today and ask Him to help us find the beauty and order He alone provides. By:  Tom Felten

What chaos are you experiencing in your life? How can God help you bring order and peace to it?  

Creator God, thank You for the peace and order You alone provide. In You, broken things become beautiful.

地是空虚混沌，渊面黑暗；上帝的灵运行在水面上。—创世记1章2节

阿强吞下了所有他在药柜里能找到的药物。他从小生长在一个支离破碎的家庭里，生活一团糟。他的母亲长期遭受父亲的虐待，直到父亲结束了自己的生命。现在，阿强也想要结束自己的生命，但脑海中随即浮现一个念头：我死后会去哪里？感谢上帝的恩典，阿强那天并没有死。后来，他开始和朋友一起研读圣经，最终接受耶稣作他的救主。吸引阿强归向上帝的部分原因，是他看见宇宙万物的美丽与秩序。他说：“我看见一切事物是如此美丽，知道必定有神明创造一切。”

在创世记第1章，我们读到确实是上帝创造了万物。虽然“地是空虚混沌”（2节），上帝却在混乱中建立秩序，“把光暗分开”（4节），将陆地置于海中（10节），使动植物“各从其类”（11-12、21、24-25节）。正如阿强所发现的，那位“创造了诸天和大地，使一切各就各位”的上帝（以赛亚书45章18节，新普及译本），仍持续使所有降服于基督的万物，都能和平共处并有秩序。

生活可能很混乱且充满挑战。但我们赞美上帝，因祂“不是叫人混乱，乃是叫人和谐”（哥林多前书14章33节，和合本修订版）。今日，就让我们呼求祂，请祂帮助我们，能寻见唯独祂能创造的美丽和秩序。

作者：  冯得恩

你的生活正经历何种混乱的情况？
你盼望上帝如何为你的
生活恢复秩序及和平？

上帝啊，祢是创造主，唯独祢能维持和谐及秩序，
为此我要感谢祢。
在祢里面，破碎的事物也变得美丽