For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 

Colossians 1:16 

Creation is a fact. It is a fact for which we need not fear to stand. Nor do we need to feel it necessary to go to great lengths to attempt to scientifically prove it in the face of those who deny it. Our belief in creation depends upon God and His Word. The Scriptures begin ‘in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ If we begin there, believing that God is, that He has revealed Himself and that He has revealed Himself in creation, we have begun with faith. We believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those, who diligently seek Him. Thus our belief in creation begins with our belief in God and in the revelations of His word, the first of which is that He has created the earth and what is in the heavens. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with marshaling proofs for creation from science, a person without faith will dismiss those proofs. We are not fazed by what anyone uses to seek to disprove creation because it is a matter of faith. From the first verse through the entire Bible creation is declared as a matter of fact. According to Peter, to deny creation is a matter of willful ignorance, ‘For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water.’ Our text goes so far as to affirm creation, and to declare that Christ is the Creator. Therefore when we speak of Him, we speak of the One who made us.  

Great God of wonders, 
we rejoice that You have created all things. 
We praise You that You have made us 
part of that creation.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.  

Psalm 43:5  

In the course of life we may often find ourselves cast down. Because it does occur to many of us as a practical reality, we have reason to ask ourselves, ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul?’ In the case of the psalmist it was ‘an ungodly nation’ and ‘deceitful, unjust’ men. They were oppressive to this man and by logical inference, his people. Thus, he was cast down with good reason. Having said that, there are others in the Scripture who were cast down with good reason. Moses was cast down because of the contrariness of the children of Israel in the wilderness. David was cast down because of the murderous campaign of Saul against him. Elijah was cast down because of his physical tiredness as well as mental and spiritual exhaustion. These are a few instances of many. We want to recognize that to be cast down of soul is a common human experience from which followers of Christ are not exempt. Faith in Christ does not mean we will not experience hours of darkness. If we do experience them we are not less than truly spiritual. Many who have trusted in Christ have been cast down. We are not alone.    

Our Gracious Master and our God,  
we praise You that You have partaken in our humanity,  
and that you understand us.  
In our darkest hours, we hope in You. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.  

Psalm 43:5 

What is the solution for us when we are downcast? The psalmist has asked himself the question, ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?’ The earlier portions of the psalm indicate the source of his distress. An ungodly nation, deceitful, unjust men, and the oppression of the enemy were the cause of his being downcast. The natural-minded person would have a natural solution for him. They might say ‘be more thankful; choose joy; follow the commands of God more closely; be more faithful.’ These solutions all turn downcast souls back to themselves. By contrast, the author knows where the solution is. He says, ‘hope in God.’ Self-help is not the way for us to come out of being downcast. We are not our own saviors. Christ is our Savior. All our hope is in God and God’s hope for us is through Christ. When Elijah was downcast, Christ came to him. When Peter sank in the waves, Christ lifted him. Christ is the hope of His downcast people. If you are downcast today, for whatever reason, look to Christ. He has always been, is now, and shall ever be the Hope of His people. Hope in God.  

Our Good and Gracious God,  
we rejoice that You are the help of the downcast.  
We praise You that when we are at our lowest,  
You lift us up.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  

Colossians 1:16  

…has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds… 

Hebrews 1:2 

Christ is the Creator. The first portion of our text is specific in its’ delineation of all the things He created. The second portion of our text speaks of Him as having created the worlds. This refers to the universe. We look at the world around us, taking into account what God has told us of how it came to be and we marvel at how it is and continues to be. If we look outside the world to the universe we behold even greater marvels. We have only scratched the surface in our exploration of what is outside our little blue-green planet. Even our own galaxy holds undiscovered secrets. Beyond that, there is an entire universe of galaxies, suns, moons, and black holes. Christ has created all these things. They exist because He has brought them into being and continues to uphold them by the word of His power. They are testimonies to Him. ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.’ This matters to us because we have an indissoluble union with Him. Because He, as the Creator has redeemed us, we are irreversibly connected to the One Who has created the universe and know all its’ secrets. This is a vast wealth of knowledge. As we contemplate Him, He reveals, and shall continue to reveal the secrets of His creation.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice at all that You have created. 
We praise You that as we come to know You better, 
we come to understand our relation to all these things.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning