Introduction
Gen 1:1-2 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Allow me to put it in simple English. In the beginning, there was nothing. Earth was a void. Its existence was deprived of light. Only darkness saw the world we now call our home. The very word void in Hebrew, the word "tohu," is translated into English as meaning formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness. But God came here! There is only one difference between a void and a planet. His name is Jesus Christ. There is only one difference between darkness and light. It is the presence of God. The bible says; Gen 1:3 "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." When God speaks, nothing turns into something. He is the difference between existence and oblivion. Even darkness turns into a brilliant display of glory within the echo of His voice. He is the incarnation of hope, stability and beauty.
Hence we read, Gen 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man..." Gen 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
The only difference between you and the dirt beneath your feet is the commitment, the love and understanding of your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yes, we are made from nothing. Yes, we are living dust, but the breath of God, His tender love, sets us apart from anything else.
You see, we were created to understand. It is within this understanding that mankind can find within the close relationship that God wants with us, our value, meaning and security. Allow me to explain using the Hebrew word for this soul that God breathed into us. The word Nephets, translated into English literally means soul, life force, being or existence. Could it be that in that same way in which you were designed to be the life force, being, motivation and joy of your child, husband or girlfriend; that God wanted to be your life force, a physical part of your being, your entire life?
Does it feel like there is something missing inside your heart? Is there an empty void within your soul? Are you incomplete?
God is the missing link...
Just the fact that He cares makes all the difference in the world. You see, our biggest problem today lies within our inability to understand who God. To many, He is some fictional super hero who can move mountains. To others, he is some divine judge, who we need to appease in order to attain eternal life. We attend church, pay tithing and pray, all to escape the threat of hell fire. Everything we think, do and say is driven by a fear, a longing to find eternal certainty and safety. But in the end, we are nothing but dust. We have reduced ourselves to becoming nothing more than grains of sand in the history of time.
But what if there was something more to religion? What if we missed something so foundational within our daily lives, that it would change everything forever?
Within His identity, His care brings value, meaning and a sense of completion. It's a simple cause and effect based principle. If your president or king came to visit you, it would be a status symbol. Because of His visit, you would feel important, valuable and special. Now when we realise who God really is, His birth on earth, His death on the cross and His interest in our daily lives will bring us a sense of worth that nothing on this planet can ever replace. Without this rich blessing, we are nothing. Limited to the dirt riddled world of sorrow and pain, our lives- in and of themselves- are so empty that we might as well be dead. A life without a sense of identity in God is nothing. This is why man ran from the face of God in Gen 3. Gen 3:7-10 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
Yes, our first parents felt like dirt. They felt threatened by the presence of God. While they knew that something was missing, they ran from the only one who could complete them again. Adam and Eve felt broken, incomplete and naked. However, the bible relates to us; Gen 2:25 "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
Hence, the results of our sinful actions caused our shame, incompletion and fear. It was not there before man sinned. Neither was it a result of the curse that God placed upon man. In fact, it would appear that the curse placed upon man was meant to be a blessing. Either way, our incompletion, depression and sadness stems from the natural results of sin. God is the missing element. We need our Saviour, for much more than mere salvation. We need Him for every moment of life, pulsing through our veins. There is only one way to find fulfilment. His name is Jesus Christ.
