BY CINDY KEIGER
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
~ Genesis 1:1
It’s hard to imagine a time when there was nothing. Nothing! Nothing except God. But God had a plan: he was going to make stuff. He was going to make stuff happen. But He couldn’t just sit around and think about it—He had to begin.
January 1 is the beginning of a brand-new year! Can you name some other things that have a beginning? A book, a movie, a game. What else?
Some people make a New Year’s Resolution at the beginning of the New Year. That means they make a promise to themselves that they are going to get some stuff done this year, or do something different, or better than they did before. Ask Mom and Dad if they made a New Year’s Resolution. Maybe you have some plans for the year ahead, too. “I’m going to learn to ride my bike without the training wheels.” “I’m going to stop whining when it’s time to do my homework.” “I’m going to read a little in my Bible every day.”
Planning to do something doesn’t mean it gets done. Remember God’s plan? He was going to make stuff. If He just sat around and thought it was a pretty cool idea, nothing would change. But what did He do? He began to do the work. On Day 1, He made the heavens and the earth and light. Day 2: the sky. Day 3: dry land and plants and trees. Day 4: sun and moon and stars.
What if He had stopped right there? He could have said, “Whew! What was I thinking? This is a lot of work. This is pretty good. I think I’ll quit now.” But, no. He had a plan, and He was determined to finish what He had started. So, Day 5: all the sea animals and the birds. Day 6: all kinds of land animals, and a man and a woman. WOW! Aren’t you glad He didn’t quit?
Each day is a new beginning. You don’t have to wait for a “Happy New Year.” If you messed up yesterday, you can start over again today. Don’t give up, but keep doing your best. The Bible says we shouldn’t get tired of doing the right thing. (See Galatians 6:9) So if you have a plan to do a good thing, begin! And then keep doing it.
