IN THE BEGINNING, GOD
The Bible does not clear its throat before speaking. It does not gather evidence, build a case, or pause to persuade the skeptic. It simply opens with God already there. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). No preface. No footnotes. No apology. God is not argued for; He is presented. The Bible assumes His reality the way it assumes light will shine and breath will fill the lungs. Faith does not start with a debate; it starts with a declaration.
That opening line is doing more work than we often realize. Before there is time, before there is matter, before there is chaos or order, God stands at the front of the sentence. Everything else follows Him. The Bible is not asking permission to believe; it is announcing what is. Creation is not the proof of God so much as the result of Him. The world is here because He is here first. He does not emerge from the universe; the universe emerges from Him.
When Scripture finally addresses atheism directly, it does so with striking brevity. It spends half a verse, not half a book. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). That is it. No extended argument. No philosophical sparring. The denial of God is not treated as an intellectual breakthrough but as a heart-level decision. It is not merely a conclusion reached; it is a posture chosen. The problem is not a lack of information but a refusal of illumination.
This is why the Bible keeps moving. It does not linger to convince those who have already closed their eyes. It speaks to those who are listening, those who are hungry, those who sense that the beginning must have a Beginner. From Genesis onward, God reveals Himself not by shouting over doubters but by walking with believers, speaking to prophets, dwelling with His people, and finally stepping into history in flesh and blood through Jesus Christ.
“In the beginning, God” is not just how the Bible starts; it is how faith starts. Get that sentence right, and everything else finds its place. Miss it, and nothing quite lines up. God does not need our permission to exist, and He does not tremble at our denial. He simply is. And He invites us, not to win an argument, but to know Him.
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Lord God, You were here before my questions and You will remain after them. Help me to trust what You have revealed, to walk in the light You give, and to rest in the truth that You are, from the beginning and forever. Amen.
BDD
