In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
Understanding the beginning is the beginning of understanding. The first verse in the Bible may include the four most important words ever written—"in the beginning God." The understanding of this one verse is the foundation upon which all truth is based. Before we can comprehend the end of the age, or our present purposes, we must first understand the beginning. This is the foundation upon which everything else is built.
"In the beginning God"—these four words are worthy of a lifetime of study, and will be the basis upon which an eternity of worship will be founded. We exist because of God. We, therefore, owe Him everything. He alone is worthy of our worship and devotion.
At the end of the age, the most pressing philosophical controversies still revolve around our origin. This is understandable because when we answer this one question right, the answers to all other questions are possible. If we answer it wrong, the door opens to almost every form of darkness and deception.
Just as the strength of a foundation will determine the magnitude of what can be built upon it, the depth to which we understand this one truth about our origin can determine the spiritual strength of our entire lives. When we understand that we had our beginning in God, and that He made us for His purposes, we are compelled to return to Him. The truth of our beginning is also the beginning of all truth. Since He made us, we are His. Therefore, His purpose and His plan must guide us.
If God made us, then we can no longer claim to be the centers of this universe. He is the center. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is I Am. All things will be summed up in Him. Just as every compass will point to the magnetic north, all else will ultimately point to Him, the magnetic pole of truth. With this pole of truth in our hearts, we have a basis for every decision—what is His will? All things came from Him and all will return to Him. This is our destiny and the goal of our lives—to return to the One who made us, and to serve Him in all things.
Also implied is the importance of all beginnings. How we begin our day will probably determine the quality of our day. How we begin our marriages will have a lot to do with the quality of our marriages. How we begin our jobs, ministries, or any other venture, will determine their foundations. How something is started is often the primary factor in the quality of what is finished. Projects begun on an impulse are just as quickly and easily abandoned. For any significant project that is accomplished, great care must be taken while laying the foundation.
The foundation is the single part of any building that is used every day. If it collapses, the rest of the building will collapse. The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 3:11, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Knowing Jesus and abiding in Him is the foundation of our spiritual lives. We may build many things upon this foundation, and we may learn many great truths about His ways and His purposes. We may do great things for Him, but coming to Him every day, and doing all that we do with Him instead of just for Him, is essential if we are to bear true spiritual fruit. Paul also wrote in Ephesians 1:9-10:
with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him.
The ultimate purpose of God is that all things will be summed up in His Son. If we do not keep the ultimate purpose of God as the focus of our lives, and assure that all we do is founded in Him, we will continually be distracted by the lesser purposes of God. Many are distracted from the River of Life by the little tributaries that feed it. If you want to stay in the River, keep your focus on Jesus Christ in all things. No other foundation can be laid that will stand.