And God Said...

When God SPEAKS, He Creates. As we begin Great Lent, the Church offers us a reoriented perspective that focuses us on eternal wisdom rather than temporary appetites.

If this world is ever going to recover what we have trashed by falling for the delusion of materialism, we are going to have to start with the idea of Logos.

It is this precious, vital understanding of human reality that locates true meaning in God’s Word.

And I’m not talking about the Bible.

Though the scriptures are treasures without compare, the true rediscovery of real meaning in the world will come when we embrace the reality that God’s Word is the Person of Jesus Christ.

And it is in Him that we discover the true meaning of all creation and our very lives.

So, when God speaks, He is doing more than merely communicating with words. He is making His glorious Self visible, real, and relatable.

Even though He will always be beyond our understanding, He does everything to bridge the gap between the Created and the Uncreated by coming among us Himself in the flesh and thereby collecting all the physical reality of creation and uniting it to Himself through His grace and love.

My meaning and purpose are in Him. And everyone around me is also meant to be connected to Him. That’s my mission: to help others embrace this reconnection to God through Christ!

Today is Clean Monday. The first day of Great Lent.

Welcome to the arena of the virtues.

This week will focus on the power of spiritual disciplines to reorient our perspectives toward eternal values rather than temporary indulgences.

Today’s Lesson: Genesis 1:1-13

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

All of us know this passage well. It’s the beginning. But notice what St. Moses emphasizes as he tells us the story of God creating the world.

God uses His Voice, His Word!

Notice what happens when God speaks.

His Word, His “Logos,” creates.

The passage says “And God said...” three times in just these verses. Each time, creation obeys His commands.

Are we listening for God to speak?

What Can We Take From This?

First, God’s Word is the Person of Jesus Christ who creates and sustains all existence.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... And God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”

God’s Word is there with Him at Creation “out of nothing” (ex nihilo) and His Word brings creation into being. God’s Word shares “existence” with the creation as God “SAYS” “Let there be...”

And His creation is GOOD because creation receives its existence from the Good God.

His Word brings existence into existence because His Word is equal to Him and shares His eternality and His divinity.

Have you figured out that I’m talking about Jesus here?

Good. I was hoping to be obvious.

It is significant that the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew scriptures uses the word “Logos.” St. Moses starts his creation story with God speaking the universe into existence.

God uses His “Logos” to create everything.

Then St. John begins his Gospel in the same manner, using the word “Logos” to tell us that Jesus is God’s Word.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

This significant revelation is given to us on the threshold of Great Lent precisely to teach us to pay attention to God’s Word and allow His Word to continually recreate us in His likeness.

Words matter because God begins His love story with His creation with His Word.

His Word extends God’s goodness and shares God’s goodness with the creation God brings into existence.

Are you paying attention to God’s Word? Are you letting His Logos recreate you in His likeness?

Next, God’s creation is good because it exists by the Good God.

“And God saw that the light was good... And God saw that it was good... And God saw that it was good.”

Notice: three times in this passage, God declares His creation “good.”

Why?

Because creation receives its existence from the Good God.

In just a bit, God will look at the humanity He creates and say that it is “Very Good.”

And God has never changed His Mind about that still!

This is crucial for understanding Great Lent. You’re not fasting because you’re bad.

You’re not practicing spiritual disciplines to punish yourself.

You’re not entering the arena of the virtues because creation is evil and must be rejected.

No! Creation is good.

You are very good. Because you receive your existence from the Good God.

Great Lent is about reorienting your perspective from temporary indulgences to eternal values.

Not because physical things are bad. But because they’re good, and meant to point you to the God who gave them existence.

When you fast from food, you’re not declaring food evil. You’re declaring that God is the source of all goodness, and you want to reorient your attention to Him.

Are you treating creation as good because it comes from the Good God? Or have you made it an end in itself?

Finally, your words either share God’s goodness with creation or they destroy.

“And God said, ‘Let there be light’... And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament’... And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together.’”

God creates through His Word.

His words bring existence. His words establish order from chaos. His words produce goodness.

And you are made in His image. Your words matter. Your words either share goodness with creation or they destroy. Your words either create or tear down. Your words either reconnect people to God or push them further away.

King Solomon says in Proverbs: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

The Church gives us the practical spiritual disciplines that begin with silence and lead us to learn to shape our words in prayer and worship. Having our words seasoned with timeless wisdom sets us free to use them to create, not destroy.

This is why Great Lent starts with controlling your appetite. Not just for food. But for words. For opinions. For complaints. For criticism. For idle chatter.

You’re learning to discipline your words so they become icons of God’s Word for your world. So when you speak, like God, you create goodness instead of chaos.

Do your words share goodness with creation? Are your words icons of God’s Word for your world?

St. Polycarp the Holy Martyr and Bishop of Smyrna

Today we commemorate St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, who was martyred around 155 AD. He was a disciple of St. John the Apostle and was already in his 80s when arrested for being a Christian.

The Roman proconsul begged him to deny Christ to respect his age. St. Polycarp said: “I have been serving Christ for eighty-six years, and He has wronged me in nothing; how can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?”

When told to dismiss Christianity by saying, “Away with the atheists,” St. Polycarp waved his hand over the crowd of pagans in the arena and said, “Away with the atheists.” At this, the proconsul had St. Polycarp burned at the stake for his Faith.

St. Polycarp understood what Genesis teaches in today’s passage. God’s Word creates and sustains all existence. Creation is good because it receives existence from the Good God. Words either share God’s goodness or they destroy.

His words, even as he faced martyrdom, shared God’s goodness. He used his words to build faith among those watching, not to curse his persecutors. He made his life a living icon of God’s grace through his disciplined words and his willing sacrifice.

That’s Normal Orthodoxy. Paying attention to God’s Word and letting His Logos recreate you in His likeness. Treating creation as good because it comes from the Good God. Disciplining your words to share God’s goodness instead of creating chaos.

Your Response Today

Today is Clean Monday. The first day of Great Lent. You’ve entered the arena of the virtues.

And the Church gives you Genesis 1 to reorient your perspective. Not to eternal values versus temporary indulgences in some gnostic rejection of the physical world. But to eternal values that recognize all creation as good because it receives existence from the Good God.

God’s Word creates. God’s Word sustains. God’s Word is the Person of Jesus Christ who bridges the gap between Created and Uncreated by coming among us in the flesh.

Your mission during Great Lent is to embrace the spiritual labor of embodying this unity that God has restored between Him and you through Christ. Your life is in Him. Your meaning and purpose are in Him.

Start with your words. Do your words share goodness with creation? Are you using your words to create or to destroy? Are your words icons of God’s Word for your world?

Practice silence. Then practice shaping your words in prayer and worship. Season your words with timeless wisdom. Learn to speak fitly so your words are like apples of gold in settings of silver.

And as you fast from food, remember: you’re not rejecting God’s good creation. You’re reorienting your attention to the God who gave it existence. You’re learning that your meaning and purpose are in Him, not in temporary indulgences.

If we are ever going to travel this journey to the fullness of our purpose and our destiny as creatures meant to be God’s eternal companions, we are going to have to begin with disciplined words.

Welcome to Great Lent. Welcome to the arena. Let God’s Word recreate you in His likeness.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means letting God’s Word recreate you in His likeness, treating creation as good because it comes from the Good God, and disciplining your words to share God’s goodness instead of creating chaos!

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P.S. St. Polycarp, Holy Martyr and Bishop of Smyrna, you used your words to share God’s goodness even as you faced martyrdom, making your life a living icon of grace. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

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Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV