Finding Rest in the Deep

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
Genesis 1:2 (KJV)

In the beginning, before light pierced the darkness, there was tehom - the deep. This Hebrew word carries weight that English translations struggle to capture. It speaks of the primordial abyss, the formless void from which all creation would emerge.

Yet this deep was not empty. The Spirit of God hovered - the Hebrew merachefet suggests a bird brooding over her nest, protective and present. Even in the chaos, there was divine intention.

The Invitation of Formlessness

We often fear the formless places in our lives - the seasons of uncertainty, the moments when our carefully constructed worlds fall apart. But Genesis whispers a different truth: God is most creative in the chaos.

The deep is not a place of divine absence but divine presence. Before God spoke light into existence, the Spirit was already there, already moving, already preparing.

Finding God in the Deep

Perhaps you find yourself in a tehom season right now. The familiar landmarks of your life have dissolved. The future feels as formless as those primordial waters.

Take heart. The same Spirit that moved over the face of the deep moves in your life today. The chaos you feel is not the absence of God's plan but the canvas for His creativity.

Selah · Pause and Reflect

1
Where do you feel "formless and void" in your life right now?
2
How might God be hovering over that chaos, preparing to create something new?
3
What would it mean to trust the darkness instead of fighting it?

A Prayer

Lord of the deep, You who hovered over chaos before time began, hover over my life today. Where I feel formless, be my form. Where I feel void, be my fullness. Help me trust that even in the darkness, You are creating something beautiful. In the name of the One who is the Light of the World. Amen.