SAYS FYL

Before there was light, there was love hovering

The Bible begins with a declaration of the power of God: “In the beginning [going far back before anything or anyone ever was], God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

Emphasizing the pitiful state of the earth before God came on the scene, the second verse paints a bleak picture: “The earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness” (Gen. 1:2, The Message).

Into this nothingness, God steps in—bigger than the biggest you can imagine, better than the best there ever could be. He steps in with the ultimate power to create, to change, to make anew. In just the first two verses of Scripture, we encounter the indisputable power of our Creator.

And yet, in the very same breath, a second picture emerges: “The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2). A God of unmatchable power who also bends low with love.

God Hovers Over My Darkness

The verb hover is also used in Deuteronomy 32:11, where God is described as “an eagle hovering over its nest, overshadowing its young.” Here He is watching, protecting His people from danger. God hovers—being the great I AM in the midst of their unknowns and fears.

God hovering over His people is understandable. But what is He hovering over in Genesis 1:2? After all, “the earth was a soup of nothingness.” Nothing has yet been created, nothing is alive. Yet God hovers, standing guard, protecting this darkness, keeping a divine eye on the void.

This picture of God hovering has deepened my understanding of His love. It reminds me that God loves not only because I am His child or bear His image. His love is bigger, bolder, beyond all that. God loves because He is love—overwhelmingly, indescribably, unfathomably love.

If God could hover over an inanimate dark blob, imagine how much more He hovers over me. Even when I feel like nothing, even when I feel unworthy—God hovers. God loves. When my life is surrounded by darkness, I am not alone.

God Believes in My Potential

Looking at the nothingness, He sees potential. God sees beyond the dark abyss and envisions what could be. He knows this nothingness does not have to remain dark. So He says, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good (Gen. 1:3–4).

With the creation of light, only one-sixth of creation is complete. Yet God looks at what is still an unimpressive blob and says it is good. I believe He does the same with me. He looks at me in my incompleteness—so far from the finish line—and says, You are good. When I place myself in the Creator’s hands to be continually molded, it’s always going to be good. Even when I am at my lowest, God sees what I could be tomorrow, and He declares, You are good.

God Provides for and Empowers Me

The third picture of God I see in Genesis is that He provides for and empowers me to do His will. In verse 11, God creates vegetation, seeds, and fruit. He outfits the earth with sunshine, water, and everything else humans would ever need—before humanity even existed, before we could perceive a need or voice a prayer.

And then God says to Adam and Eve, “Have dominion over . . . every living thing” (Gen. 1:28). I can’t imagine why a perfect, powerful God would trust fickle humans with His new creation! Yet He does. He entrusts Adam and Eve with the entire earth—all of it. And He does the same with me. Even after I have let Him down over and over again, God continues to equip me with resources and talents. And then He goes even further—He invites me to partner with Him: to care for others, to tend His earth, to build His church, to reflect Christ.

The confidence He has in me and the grace He extends boggle my mind. His hovering gives me peace. Regardless of where I am, no matter what life throws at me, God’s power, love, and presence remain my constants.

For in the beginning, God.
And now and forever, God.

Featured image generated by AI