IN THE BEGINNING by Stephen Hanson

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² The same was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1

In the beginning was the word, and the word was God. That word created everything that we see and touch and experience. The word created everything that we "don't see and touch and experience."  There isn't anything anywhere that didn't come into existence through the spoken word of God.

It is a creative force, this word that was spoken. It IS a creative word still. And yet we have the spoken word within us. There is no darkness in God.  Actually darkness is merely the absence of light. In him was the light of man, and the light still permeates throughout all creation.  But man has defiled the light. It has become fragmented and subdued into various illusions of the true light. We are told that the enemy comes as a messenger of light; he parades as one that would show forth light, but it is a counterfeit of what is true.

We talk about "In the beginning," and yet God was always here before the beginning. The only beginning is what we now see around us.  It's a very difficult concept to grasp, and yet we must know that it is true, for God himself was not created.  But then the stars and everything we see around us were flung into existence by this spoken word.

And yet when God spoke he didn't need to use the tools and materials of the things that we now see around us. There wasn't first dirt, and air, and fire, and water. Those very things were spoken into existence.  As an artist, I have a canvas and paints and brushes to use at my disposal.  Fortunately I don't have to create them because they are already here at my disposal to use. Of course at one point, men made brushes and wove the material that is now used for a canvas and ground the pigments that we now see in tubes of paint. But those men and women didn't need to create the earthen materials from the earth. They were already there.  In other words, God created out of "nothing," and man must create out of "what he now sees."

The creative force of the spoken word is a mysterious thing. The words that we speak can bring healing and they can also bring destruction. The old adage that says, "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me," is actually not true. Words are powerful and they can give us encouragement in this life, or they can bring rottenness to our bones.  A young child that always hears hurtful words spoken to him or her, will grow up thinking that he is not able to do certain things in life, or that he just isn't a good person. And yet those who have been given words of life will flourish and grow into men and women who are well-adjusted and have a sense of purpose and destiny in their lives.

It's hard to take back any reckless words that we have spoken to others.  Sometimes it's better not to say anything at all, rather than saying something that we may regret later.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

Proverbs 10:19

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Stephen Hanson

www.stephenhansonprophet.com