A God of Order_1

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Welcome to Rediscovering Faith, a podcast designed to help you deepen your understanding of God through reflection on His attributes revealed throughout Scripture. Hosted by Pastor Evan Ryder, this season explores the nature of God as seen through His actions in the Bible, starting with the very first chapter of Genesis.

In this first episode, Pastor Evan takes us back to the beginning—the creation story in Genesis 1—and invites us to rediscover God’s character through the lens of His work in the world. We often approach Genesis 1 with preconceived notions, but Pastor Evan encourages us to let go of modern assumptions and simply listen to the text afresh. What can we learn about the Creator by examining His work of creating order from chaos?

Through this episode, we explore the powerful Hebrew words tohu and bohu, which describe the earth as "formless and void" before God acts to bring order. Pastor Evan explains how God begins His work by organizing the chaotic, watery mess of the earth and gradually fills it with life—plant, animal, and ultimately, humanity. Each act of creation is met with God’s affirmation that it is “good,” and the world is blessed to flourish.

But there's more than just organization and filling—the theme of God's blessing is central. As God blesses creation and calls it to multiply, Pastor Evan highlights how God's intent is for all of creation to thrive, to “be amazing.” It’s a picture of a good, ordered world in harmony with God's purposes.

This teaching also reflects on how God's nature contrasts with the chaos we experience in our own lives. From broken relationships to personal struggles, we often find ourselves surrounded by the tohu and bohu—the formlessness and emptiness of sin. Yet, even in the midst of chaos, God is still in the business of organizing, filling, and blessing. He continues to bring order to the disorder in our hearts, and His desire for us is still that we would flourish and live according to His good design.

Listen and reflect on where we see disorder and emptiness in our own lives, and to remember that God, as a God of order, is still at work in us.

Join us in this first step of rediscovering faith, and stay tuned for the upcoming mini-sessions throughout the week designed to help you meditate on these themes. Whether you’re listening alone or with a friend, be encouraged that God’s work in creation is still unfolding in you today.

If this episode has been meaningful to you, share it with someone who might benefit. And don’t forget to follow the podcast for the next episode of Rediscovering Faith.