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CREATION & PROVIDENCE

By Laurie Zickgraf

November 1 & 2, 2025

 Questions, we all have questions. Throughout the centuries, men have been trying to figure things out. How to keep warm, how to use electricity in a house without burning it down, how to fly, how to go to Mars.

I ask questions all the time.  Every once in a while, I see something and I have no questions, just awe. This happened the other day.

 I was watching a beautiful sunset, and I thought about the amazing colors. The clouds in the west were orange but the clouds in the east had touches of pink on the edges. The effect was mesmerizing. As the sun started to set, the colors kept changing until, suddenly, there were no colors, only the darkness of night. I didn’t ask questions, I just stared and thanked God for the beauty in this world.

 Since man roamed the Earth, people have looked around and tried to explain why things happened. They made up gods and spirits and said these beings were making the sky light up during a storm. They explained that sometimes a god would get angry and cause a flood or an earthquake.  These gods were mean and jealous of each other.

 Over time, God’s communication with men helped them to understand that there is only one God. The Jewish people had the Torah which is our Old Testament. The Old Testament contains the stories of God and His people and the promises He made to them. We can read about how the Israelites became slaves in Egypt and how God sent Moses to rescue them. We can read about God’s people wandering in the desert for 40 years as God led them and taught them His rules and His commandments.

 There are stories from the prophets that foretold that a Messiah would come to save the world from sin. The expected Messiah did come, in the form of a man, born of a virgin. Jesus came to bring us the good news of love, mercy and salvation. He brought a new

covenant to the people and taught His apostles so they could spread the word to all nations. Everyone in the world was and is included in God’s plan for salvation.

 As people learned about Jesus and His teachings spread around the world, they became organized and wanted to understand the foundations of what they believed. Even the early Christians had questions and sometimes they disagreed. When this happened, the Apostles would gather and make a decision based on what Jesus had taught them.

 One of the first questions was whether a person had to become Jewish before they could become a believer of Jesus. Paul and others disagreed with each other so they took the issue to the leaders of the new church. (Acts 15:1-29)

 As Christianity grew, many different cultures became converted, and they brought new ideas and interpretations to the teachings of Jesus. These differences became stumbling blocks to shared beliefs. The result evolved into the hundreds of Christian denominations that we have today. Some of these denominations share common beliefs but some are much further apart in what they believe and how they worship God.  

As these new churches were formed, the leaders started to record their beliefs. One of the first statements or confessions, was the Apostle’s Creed. It was not written by the Apostles and was written around 180 A.D., at a time when most people were illiterate. The Creed was short enough so that people could memorize it and use it to express their beliefs when they were baptized.  

Another Creed, originally written in 325 A.D. was revised in 381 A.D. and became known as the Nicene Creed. This Creed was written to settle theological disputes about Jesus Christ.  

The Apostles’ and Nicene Creed give us a starting point at which to share our faith. They start with a belief in God, the Father Almighty. We can point to the Bible,  

Gensis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. We believe that God created everything ex nihilo - from nothing. He spoke it into existence.  

I heard an interesting story once - about some scientists who asked to speak to God. When they were before Him, they explained that they no longer needed Him, that they had figured it out. They were now able to create life on their own. When God asked these people to show Him, the scientists got a bucket of dirt and put it in a larger container. As they started to gather some other materials, God interrupted them. He said, ‘That’s My dirt, you need to make your own.”  

NO matter how advanced we think we are, God is greater.  

Presbyterians do not believe that our world started as a puddle of ooze. If someone tells you it did, ask them where the ooze came from? Who created it and how did it get there? I accept that I do not understand the physics behind how the universe works. I am thankful that I can enjoy the world without understanding. 

I believe that our God created the world, ex nihilo. Presbyterians also believe that God cares about His creation. This is called the Doctrine of Providence:  

“Providence can be defined as God's continued involvement with creation, directing it toward a divine purpose.”

The Bible proves that God cares about us and is involved. Throughout the Bible, God guides men and brings them back into a relationship with Him, like He originally had with Adam and Eve.

 If God didn’t care, He wouldn’t have had a plan to save us. He wouldn’t have needed to send His son to us so that we might accept His invitation of eternal salvation.  

God created us to have a relationship with Him. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, He showed them mercy by sending them out of the Garden of Eden. If they had stayed and eaten from the tree of life, we would be born into sin and we would be immortal.   

Think about that. Jesus would not have come to die on the cross to conquer death because there would be no death! We would never be able to break away from sin and return to God. 

God always had a plan, and He is still guiding us. How do we know this? Jesus told us that a Helper would come. (John 14:25-26) 

           “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  

Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Before He returned to the Father in heaven, He told them again about the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  

After Jesus said this, He was lifted up into the clouds. About ten days later, the Holy Spirit came to the people with the sound of rushing wind from heaven. They saw tongues of fire resting on each person. This is our Pentecost which we celebrate every year. 

So, as Presbyterians we believe that God created everything. We believe that God sent His son Jesus to us so that we might be saved from sin. We also believe that God sent the Holy Spirit to us for guidance and understanding. With these beliefs firmly in place, we may still have more questions. 

We may look around sometimes and wonder where God is. It is ok to question. Sometimes when I am praying, I apologize for my questions. I think of the man that cried out to Jesus saying “I believe, help my unbelief”. Others have questions and our Presbyterian Book of Confessions may help to answer some of these questions. 

The Heidelberg Catechism which was completed in 1562 is written in the form of questions and answers.  

Question 4.028 asks:

“What advantage comes from acknowledging God’s creation and providence?” 

The answer:

“We learn that we are to be patient in adversity, grateful in the midst of blessing, and to trust our faithful God and Father for the future - assured that no creature shall separate us from His love…”  

When you have questions or when you feel alone, take a look around you at our world. Look at a beautiful sunset or sunrise. See the stars in the sky and know that God made them. 

Take a look at the Presbyterian Book of Confessions, you might find some answers.  Read your Bible. Hold onto your basic beliefs and find strength in the Word of God.  

Always remember what Jesus said to the Apostles in Matthew (28:20b):

20b “ …and lo, I am with you always, until the end of the world.” (1599 Geneva Bible)

 Amen