The earth hung suspended in the vast ebony expanse of the heavens. It was shapeless...empty...desolate...penetrated by the thick density of utter darkness. Black water lay stagnant, unruffled by wind, undisturbed by currents. Time, natural laws, and seasons did not exist.
Over the deep places of the hollow earth the Spirit of God hovered in holy quietness, waiting for the perfect moment to begin the unfolding of His Plan.
Day 1
The Spirit of God left the earth swiftly and silently, rising into the inky obscurity surrounding the earth, higher and higher, until the whole earth was beneath Him. Divine power filled His Being; the earth below Him shook.And then God spoke. In a voice mightier than a hurricane, more thunderous than a volcano, the words of the Almighty resounded throughout the trembling heaven and earth: "Let there be light." And there was light! -- a glorious white light issuing from God Himself, blazing, resplendent, triumphing over the forces of darkness. The earth, reflecting the Source of light, brightened until even the darkest holes were illuminated and the deep, motionless waters shimmered. And God was pleased with what He saw.
Then God, the Light, moved away from earth, drawing a heavy black curtain across the heavens after Him, leaving the earth in darkness once again. And God said, "The light shall be called Day, and the darkness Night." Thus ended the first day of creation.
Day 2
God commanded again, and His voice was like the rushing of a mighty wind. At the sound, the firmament appeared, separating the waters on earth from the waters above.Then God stood on earth, and swept His hand across the sky He had created---and the sky turned a beautiful blue, and the wind from His hand sent great white clouds sailing. God looked at what He had made, and was satisfied. He called it Heaven.
Night fell, and the second day was over.
Day 3
In a voice like the roaring of breakers, God spoke again, and said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear."Immediately, the waters rolled together. Wave crashed against wave. The earth rocked with the impact. Sea spray, silvered by sublime light, rose high.
Where the waters had been, there was now dry land -- sandy beaches, gigantic rock formations, gaping chasms, lofty mountains, cavernous caves. God looked at what He had made, and saw that it was good.
But God saw that the earth was stark and lifeless, so He reached down and clothed the earth's nakedness with a splendid garment of grasses, herbs and trees. They dipped and swayed in the wind as dusk deepened, as if in obeisance to God. And the evening and the morning were the third day.
Day 4
The God who had created the most delicate flower the day before was now ready for one of the most dramatic parts of His creation.He took a huge ball of nothing in His great hands, and ignited it with His breath. With a glory not unlike His own, the ball blazed with heat and light. Then God took the tremendous fiery sun, placed it in the heavens and set the earth revolving around it.
God rolled a smaller sphere with His fingertips, and placed it next to the earth, to be a light for the night. He also flung His hand across the sky, scattering myriads of stars like seeds from the hand of a sower.
The splendid new sun sank for the first time below the horizon. As twilight fell, the moon rose, a cool, pale, luminous crescent in the sable sky. The stars winked and smiled down at the silent earth. Thus ended the fourth day.
Day 5
On the fifth day, God looked at the sky and sea and meditated a moment. Then He said, "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."At once the waters came alive with all imaginable kinds of creatures -- terrible sea monsters...squiggly tadpoles...great whales...brilliantly colored fishes. The sky also teemed with life -- parrots screeched...eagles soared...humming birds beat tiny iridescent wings.
God blessed the sea creatures and birds, and told them to be fruitful, and multiply.
Then the birds flew to the trees to sing lullabies to the infant earth, and the sea animals fell asleep in their watery beds.
Day 6
God saw that the dry land was still empty and barren, so He commanded, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature of his kind;" and at the sound of His voice, a multitude of land animals appeared. Elephants lumbered into the jungle...ants scurried to work...cattle grazed on verdant hillsides...lions stretched lithe limbs and settled to sleep in the sun.Then God looked at the panorama of life He had created, and saw that it was good.
The entire universe shouted out praise to its Creator, but nowhere could God find a creature with whom He could enjoy close, personal fellowship. The animals could only do what He commanded them to; God wanted someone that would love Him and talk with Him and adore Him for who He was.
And so there was yet one more miracle to perform before the divine Plan was fully accomplished.
The Lord God Almighty knelt down and took a bit of the dust of the earth in His fingers; and from it He fashioned a faultless form in the image of Himself. And God breathed into the form the breath of life and man became a living soul. Then God stepped aside.
The man breathed, he sighed, he stirred and opened his eyes. He looked at the creation -- the sky, the sea, the earth, the animals -- and then he turned and saw the Lord God.
God smiled. He held out His hand, and the man rose, and together they walked in perfect fellowship.
Then the wind whispered the wonder of it to the trees...and the trees told it to the birds...and the birds carried the message over land and sea until all the world rejoiced.
You may find a point or two or more made in this piece that
is not quite theologically square. If that is so, please do not stumble
over that. Be inspired by the excellent word picture painted by Linda.
My thanks to Esther Slaubaugh, one of my teaching colleagues at
Elliott Prairie Christian School (1995-96), for typing this selection for
me.
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