In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ~Genesis 1:1
The beginning of all beginnings! Everything that never was is coming now to be, God literally making all things new. Six days of majestic creation, each begun with “God said, let there be…”. And as these new beginnings were obedient to His word, seven times God reflected on the wonder and saw that it was good, indeed that everything He made was very good.
On this day each year, we flip the calendar to a fresh do-over of previous years’ flipping, like there’s something magical about a date with so many ones or entering a year with digits never arranged just so before. We expect this day to be like no other we’ve lived or to be the first of new and better whatevers we desire for days ahead. And it is just that. Just like yesterday could have been, like tomorrow might be. Yet…
This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ~Psalm 118:24 (emphasis mine)
Isn’t this what God did on each creation day? He spoke His word into it, He gave permission—let it be, let it appear, let it bring, let it abound; He made, blessed, and rejoiced in the very goodness. Of a day… just being… but being filled and blessed and abounding with Him. As is every day.
And so we too can declare, if only for today:
THIS is the day the Lord Himself made—for me; He made me in it! I will be thankful and glad for something.
There’s grace in this day.
There’s hope in this day.
There’s God in this day.
*
image by debra