Sharpened Together - Week 14

Key Scriptures: 
Genesis 1:1-3
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Have you ever been caught in a rip?

When I was a kid I remember swimming in the ocean. The beach was too crowded from all the tourists so my friend and I went further down the beach than we usually went. After swimming for a while I realized that I had made my way into a rip. Being a decent swimmer, I tried to swim out. It didn’t take me long to realise that, despite my best efforts, I wasn’t getting any closer to the shore. My energy was running low and panic was setting in. I remember looking over at my laughing friend and calling out. My mate swam over into the rip and guided me out, laughing at me all the way.

I remember being so relieved as he swam over but also full of rage at the same time.

The picture the Bible starts with is one of the Deep. Black waters of nothingness. (The Hebrew word used here is tehom: meaning deep, abyss, depths). This is a place of chaos, a place that nobody could survive in, a churning rip of dark water ready to take you out.

But over the Deep hovers God. No longer is this place called the Deep. It’s now referred to as “waters” (Hebrew: mayim). No longer are these waters a place of chaos, no longer is it a place of fear and darkness. Now it’s just regular water.

God being there transformed the Deep.

The very first image you see in the Bible is one of God bringing peace.

Wherever God is; there is peace.

We are made in God’s image, made to imitate Him, to emulate Him and to do the things He does throughout the earth.

One of the coolest things about being a man, I think, is the way we can shape atmospheres and groups of people by bringing peace. God created us to rule and to reign, to carry authority wherever we go. If we use this authority correctly it will bring peace.

When you’re disagreeing with your spouse, or under a deadline at work, or raising kiddos, or just dead tired, you have the ability to bring peace. Your presence in a situation can be enough to change atmospheres, break down walls and bring calm to the people in your life.

This doesn’t just take self-control. It relies on us working on our stuff and being fuelled by the presence of God. If we allow God to bring peace to our inner world we’re going to see his peace flow through us into places and people that need it.

Peace out!