In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Today marks the beginning of a new year. Hopefully a year with less covid and more good cheer. Maybe a year of health, wealth and prosperity? Maybe a problem-free year, or maybe a year where all our favorite teams win championships?

Doubtful. This new year will bring successes and failures, losses and gains, good health and illness. The ebb and flow of life.

The first two verses of Genesis remind me that the same Holy Spirit who hovered over the waters, who formed the formless and filled the empty, hovers over my life with the ability to do the same for me. One constant in the unpredictabilities of life.

I pray that this year I will be brave enough to invite the Holy Spirit to develop my heart in new ways, to shape it using fresh designs. As the new year grows old, may the Creator continue his good work in me.

Genesis 1 in reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Ryan Parker