This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Bereishit (Genesis 1:1-6:8). Read on Shabbat, October 18, 2025 / 26 Tishrei 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2).
These opening words confront us with mystery and majesty. Before form and structure, God’s presence hovered in the darkness. Creation begins not with chaos subdued but with God speaking life into the void. The act of creation is not only about what came after but about the One who gives order, light, and purpose where none existed.
The narrative continues with days of separation: light from darkness, waters above from waters below, and land from sea, as God names and calls each into being. With each day, God surveys what He has made and affirms it as good. Humanity enters as the crowning act of creation, formed in God’s image, given dignity, purpose, and responsibility. Genesis presents a world designed for relationship, stewardship, and sacred order.
When we look at the world, we see both beauty and brokenness, harmony and chaos. This portion reminds us that God’s voice is powerful enough to bring order from confusion. We who are made in His image carry the call to reflect His creativity, compassion, and care. The world is not an accident of chance but the work of a Creator who shaped it and entrusted it to us.
Perhaps there are moments when your life feels empty or uncertain, when purpose seems distant and your spirit hovers over what feels formless. Remember that God’s Spirit hovered over the chaos too. Even then, He was present, shaping, speaking, and bringing life where there was none. And if you find yourself in a time of clarity and peace, do not forget the foundation. All that is good flows from the God who spoke in the beginning.
Let this week be one of renewed wonder. Take time to notice creation around you: the sound of the wind, the rhythm of the sea, the laughter of a child. Each moment points back to the Creator. Let your actions reflect His purpose by cultivating peace, restoring what is broken, and caring for what He has made.
PRAYER
Lord, renew in me a sense of awe for the world You have created. Help me live as one made in Your image, tending to what You have entrusted to my care. May my life reflect Your order, beauty, and purpose. Amen.
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