Speaking of Life 2028 | Making Something Out of Nothing
Michelle Fleming
Have you ever made something out of nothing?
If you take that question figuratively to mean, have you ever made a big deal out of something seemingly insignificant, you probably could answer yes. But if you take that question literally, then the answer would have to be no. It’s impossible to literally make something out of nothing.
But what if we asked the Triune God that same question? Has the Father, Son and Spirit ever made something out of nothing?
Well, if that question is literal, the answer would be—YES. In fact, throughout the history of the Church the biblical witness of creation has been understood as the Trinity literally creating all things out of nothing. That will blow your mind if you try to figure it out. It’s something only God can do. Humans have no capacity to create out of nothing or to even understand it. It’s a mystery to us.
Now, what if we ask God the same question figuratively. Does the Father, Son and Spirit ever “make something out of nothing?” Does the Trinity ever make a big deal out of something seemingly insignificant?
According to Psalm 8 it seems the answer to that question is also—YES!
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you
have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you
care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with
glory and honor.” Psalm 8:3-5 (NRSV)
Not only did the Triune God create humans out of nothing, he creates us, as insignificant as we may seem, in his own image. So both literal and figurative understandings of God creating something out of nothing are awe-inspiring.
When we try to ground our existence in any source other than the Triune God, we will lose the incredible significance of what it means to be human.
So, if you ever feel like your life has come to nothing or that you are a nobody, I encourage you to turn to your Triune Creator. Turns out, our God specializes in making something out of nothing and turning nobodies into somebodies.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
