In The Beginning

Genesis is the first book of the Bible. Genesis 1:1 begins with, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." That is our history and the Word that we hold on to, because God is Truth and His Word is Truth, "Your Word is truth" (John 17:7b). Jesus said "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). That is what people want and need....freedom. People need to be set free from their sin and bondage, and liberated from living in fear. I often share with people that things and situations in our lives and around us may be in a mess, there may even be a tsunami, but only God can give us peace in our hearts. As people of God, we can doubt many things, but we should never doubt God's Word. This the the premise we begin with...we must see the world from the perspective of God's Word, not any other way.

That is why we begin with "In the beginning". Why is history so important? Without history, we would not be where we are. A young Malaysian historian, Dr. Rachael Leow said, "History is not just the study of the past. It is understanding the flow of events which have led to the present." Below is part of the speech by Tunku Abdul Rahman at the Proclamation of Independence on 31st August 1957:

I am indeed proud that on this, the greatest day in Malaya's history, it falls to my lot to proclaim the formal independence of this country. Today as new page is turned, and Malaya steps forward to take her rightful place as a free and independent partner in the great community of Nations-a new nation is born and though we fully realise that difficulties and problems lie ahead, we are confident that, with the blessing of God, these difficulties will be overcome and that today's events, down the avenues of history, will be our inspiration and our guide.But while we think of the past, we look forward in faith and hope to the future; from henceforth we are masters of our destiny, and the welfare of this beloved land is our own responsibility: Let no one think we have reached the end of the road: Independence is indeed a milestone, but it is only the threshold to high endeavour - the creation of a new and sovereign State. At this solemn moment therefore, I call upon you all to dedicate yourselves to the service of the new Malaya: to work and strive with hand and brain to create a new nation, inspired by the ideals of justice and liberty-a beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world. High confidence has been reposed in us; let us unitedly face the challenge of the years. And so with remembrance for the past, and with confidence in the future, under the providence of God, we shall succeed.     

As I have grown to understand God's Word and learn to love my nation, Malaysia, I see the importance of understanding her history to see where we are heading. So it is with God's Word. We understand what God has been doing, and what He is doing at this moment of time, when we look back into the history of the Word and the world that He has created. I have begun to understand God's purpose and destiny for each person, each family, each nation, and the nations of the world!