CD - The First Article - Psalm 24

In this first sentence, which is the whole of the first article, we confess that we believe in God the Father. We confess that we believe that the Father is the Creator of the world, heaven and earth and that He is almighty. The question we must then face up to is, Do we really believe what we say?

We call God the Father the Creator and say that He is the first person of the Trinity, not because He is greater, but simply for simplicity’s sake. Also, we read of God the Father and His work of creation in the Bible before we read of the work of either Jesus, the Son, or the Holy Spirit. (We do read of Jesus as the Word and of the Holy Spirit hoovering over the face of the earth in Genesis One reminding us of the unity of the Trinity, that is that the Trinity of God is never divided.) Today, God the Father is still at work as the Preserver of the world. If the Father should withdraw His preserving hand, the entire universe would fold and collapse.

The power of the Father is often called into question, especially in discussions of creation. We often hear questions and comments such as this: Was a day twenty-four hours long? Maybe a day was a million years. Why do we find rocks and fossils that date millions of years old? How can God be everywhere at once? I am just an insignificant cog in this massive world: God is not interested in me.

All of these are good questions, right? Wrong, they are just excuses for our doubt and lack of faith. Remember, we cannot put God in a box. There are more things we do not know about God than we do know. Jesus did more than just what is written, but what is in the Bible (salvation by grace through faith) is all we need to know for salvation (John 20:30-31).

If we really believe God is almighty, what is to keep Him from creating a world in action? Were Adam and Eve created as babies? God’s power is so great, as Genesis One tells us, that God said and it was. Simply by God’s utterance the world came into being. Now that is powerful language!

Our problem as humans is that we are conceived and born in sin, thus our reason and will have been tainted from conception so we have a tendency to worship God’s creation instead of Him as the Creator. It is at that point that we begin to doubt God and His powerful Word, which was Satan’s first temptation, to doubt God, “Did God really say . . . ?”

God is not flesh and blood, but a spirit, which answers how He can be always everywhere present. We humans think only in human, earthly terms. Our finite minds have a hard time grasping God’s world. We think of God’s greatness and are humbled by our wondering’s. We are often filled with a sense of doubt and lack of trust and faith, which is one more reason intellectuals have a hard time believing Jesus. Faith is an instrument, as well as a gift. Faith is the instrument God gives to grasp all His other gifts and blessings. Thus, we do not give up reason and intellect, but that we keep reason and intellect in their proper place along with faith. As humans, we do have doubt, we do become troubled, and at those times, we are reminded that God is truly our Father. We come to Him and He hears us and answers us. We come to Him in prayer and He comes to us through His Word, the Bible. It is by our reading His Word that we are strengthened. We also remember our baptism in which we are reminded of forgiveness, life and salvation. In these ways our doubt is squelched and our faith is renewed.

Heavenly Father, I thank You that You have created this amazing world in which I live. This world is so complex and at times so overwhelming. Forgive me when I have doubts. When I have doubts I pray that You would guide me in Your Word that my doubts may be squelched and that I may be strengthened in my faith. Give me strength each day to bear witness to those around me of the faith that is in me, to the praise and glory of Your most precious name. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.