“And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” Genesis 1:2 (NASB)
Chaos. This word comes to mind when I listen to global news. Focusing on everything wrong in our world makes my head spin and my knees knock. But amid what appears to be hopeless confusion and suffering, I intentionally turn my thoughts to the truth about who God is, and my heart grows strong once again.
Current affairs might lead us to believe God is distant and uncaring, but discovering what He’s like, as revealed through His biblical names, assures us the opposite is true. The Hebrew name Ruach Elohim, which means “Spirit of God,” has become especially meaningful to me in these difficult days.
It appears for the first time in Genesis 1:2, setting the stage for God’s creation at the beginning of time: “And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God [Ruach Elohim] was hovering over the surface of the waters.”
Judging by the descriptive words in this verse — “formless,” “desolate emptiness,” and “darkness” — it appears things were chaotic then too. Nonetheless, God was present in that place. Over the disarray and inky-black space, His Spirit “was hovering.” The Hebrew word for this phrase infers fluttering, like a butterfly’s movement.
Amid the muddle, Ruach Elohim never panicked. He never wrung His all-powerful hands in distress. He uttered no frantic statements like, “What in the world has gone wrong here? What a mess!” Instead, He hovered over the darkness, poised to create something new. He remained there, steadfast and unflinching, to assure His plan would be accomplished.
Global news aside, sometimes personal circumstances also make our heads spin and our knees knock: Cancer strikes a loved one. Living expenses soar. Political tensions divide families. A child chooses a devastating path. A natural disaster destroys our home. And the list goes on.
Hard things happen over which we have no control. Life falls into the “chaotic” category, and darkness surrounds us. In times like this, Satan will do everything in his power to weaken our faith, but let’s not succumb to his tactics.
Instead, let’s remember God’s Spirit is with us. The challenges we face don’t take Him by surprise. He doesn’t frantically scroll online to find solutions for them. Neither does He view our circumstances as a hopeless mess.
Because of who He is, God hovers, unafraid and ever present, over our darkness. He steadfastly refuses to abandon us and stands poised to create something new, beautiful, and life-giving.
My friend, living from this truth strengthens our hearts. And guess what? It can help stop our heads from spinning and our knees from knocking too!
God, thank You for being present over the chaos surrounding us. We trust You to bring calm and beauty in Your time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Romans 8:26-27, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (ESV).
What does the Spirit do to help you in your weakness? How does this strengthen your heart amid difficult circumstances? We'd love to hear from you in the comments!
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