POWER OF THE SPIRIT FOR IMPACT (1)

“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” – Genesis 1: 2

The Story of Creation buttresses the Reality of the POWER of THE SPIRIT for IMPACT: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen.1: 2-3). At the dawn of creation, the Holy Spirit was with God the Father and the Word. God created; the Spirit designed, ordered, and perfected what God called into being. Then the Spirit sustained all that had been created; nothing reverted to the chaos of the past. Again, as soon as God created Adam from the dust of the ground, the Spirit breathed the breath of life into him (Gen.2:7).

While His Spirit hovered close by, waiting to hear the words that would bring everything into being, God stood on the edge of endless darkness and called out across the formless void, “Let there be light.” Immediately, glorious light pierced the darkness. The Bible did not record that the Spirit of God stopped moving. He continued to move over the depth as creation progressed. Then God instructed the water on earth, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so” (v.9b). Following the creation of the Sun and the Moon, God’s Spirit brought order and design to the universe, arranging the stars in orderly patterns to form constellations, securing the planets in their rotations and orbits.

Through God’s Words the world began. By His Spirit each moment and object of creation stayed in its appointed position. The Spirit’s work as Sustainer of the universe kept the light constant, not allowing it to morph back into its former darkness. The land stayed dry, and water remained in the oceans and lakes. The morning’s sunshine brought a new day, and at night the moon and stars lit up the sky. Winter melted into spring, spring bloomed into summer, summer eased into fall, and fall merged with winter. All things continued as they were created, because God’s Spirit kept everything the way He had created it.

God’s great world was ready to receive the ultimate in creativity – Humanity! He announced, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion...” (Gen.1: 26-28). He then scooped up dust from the ground and formed a man, into whom the Spirit released His breath. Then, God made a companion for the man from one of his ribs. The breath of life from God’s Spirit filled them and caused them to inhale and exhale continuously, automatically, and without effort. The Spirit’s Breath of Life continued in them: “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4).