Day 1: Begin Again (Bible Tribe Genesis 1–4) - Denise Pass

Good morning, friends! Day One! Welcome to a new year and a new beginning! Join us as we begin again to dive deeper into God’s word and embrace His mercies, which are new each and every morning!

Bible Reading: Genesis 1-4

Verse of the day: Gen 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Word of the day: Beginning That’s fitting for the beginning of a new year, right? It is the Hebrew word:רֵאשִׁית (ray-sheeth’)

This word means: “What comes first; starting point; first and best; first-fruit.

Begin Again: Going Back to the Beginning

The book of Genesis comes from this Hebrew word, Ray-sheeth, which means beginning.

Genesis is essentially two parts: The creation story and then God’s calling and covenant with Abraham. We see the beginning and progression of sin and resulting judgment from God as well as the beginning of the progression of God’s rescue and redemption of mankind.

Begin Again: Finding Your Way

What we believe about creation impacts our worldview. The world is not here by chance, but by divine plan. The same is true of us. God is the Alpha and the Omega and holds the beginning and the end of time in His hands.

In the beginning, God had a purpose for the world and a specific purpose for you. We see this in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, “God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth.” We cooperate with God’s sanctification by being in His word. The work is finished. And yet, we are not finished yet. As we walk out this salvation in this incredible gift of life, we can get lost sometimes and need to go back to the beginning. Not to live in the past, but to be reminded afresh of our purpose and God’s purpose for us.

So what holds you back from new beginnings? Sometimes we look to the past and think we have to get back there, but God has new beginnings for us each day. Philippians 1:6 reminds us, “The One Who began a good work in us will bring it to completion!

Application

• Today can be a new beginning for you. Don’t doubt that.
• God is the God of new beginnings. We never have to stay stagnant.
• Lamentations 3:23 reminds us that His mercies are new each and every morning.

Go with God and His precious word, friends! Join us tomorrow in the book of Joshua!