I have begun to study the word bear and must admit that the animal was not what I believed I would be working through, although as we know, God leads us where we need to be and for that I rejoice.

“¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.” – Proverbs 28:15 (ESV)

In my own career I am highly interested in being a good leader and therefore I spend time looking into leadership characteristics and techniques. In all of the reading and study I have done to date, one thing that stands out is to not be a tyrant or use fear if you are looking to be an effective leader.

When you think back to those that you have encountered as leaders in your own career, I am sure that those you feel were the “best” leaders were those that treated you with care and respect rather than the opposite. I know that the leaders I learned the most from were those that were firm but fair and treated me as a person.

What you put in is what you get out. In with fear, that is what you get. When you challenge others through caring and love, they will respond in kind and give you everything back through that same caring and love. Fear is no way to lead. Caring for those around you and in your charge is more effective and enriching to all.

When you look at your own leadership whether in your career or personal life (at home), how do you see your leadership? How do you respond to leadership through fear and the opposite of leadership through caring and love? Will run to or from the leaders who is like the charging bear?

God is our father and knows and created all.

“⁷who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; ⁸who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; ⁹who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the changers of the south; ¹⁰who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number.” – Job 9:7-10 (ESV)

When we look here at Job, we find descriptors of just how great our God is. When we consider this, how then is it possible to state our case to God when he is all knowing and creator of all?

During this same time, there were protocols for speaking with God. Basically one would bring their offerings to the priest and he would go to God through the high priest. So, we would play a game of “telephone” to bring items to God. We were free to confess our sins, only through sacrifice and others.

We now have a direct line to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We now have the ability to ask Him directly at all times. We get to speak with Him whenever and on whatever topic we choose. We can ask, plead, contend, and confess with/to Him directly.

Job was able to speak directly with God and plead his case. He recognized the authority of God and later confesses to God directly. We too can and should take the same action to speak and contend with God. We may not be right in our words or thoughts, but we can bring our case seeking guidance and advice.

Are you hesitant to bring speak and contend with God? Are you even aware that you can? Will you take the opportunity to intently listen and speak to, and contend with God to understand his path for you?

“¹⁴And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.’” – Revelation 3:14 (ESV)

As Jesus dictates to John, He makes clear that all things began with Him. I found that confusing at first until I read a bit further and study the commentary and other verses that go with the words of Jesus.

“Jesus’ self-designation as the beginning of God’s creation does not mean that he is God’s first creation but that he is the one who began God’s creation.” – ESV Commentary for Revelation 3:14

“³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” – John 1:3 (ESV)

“¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” – Colossians 1:15-16 (ESV)

Jesus is the beginning and everything that begins starts with Him. Not that He was created first, even though verse 15 of Colossians above indicates, but that through Him all things began, as indicated in verse 3 of John indicates.

I would love, as I suspect we all would, to be able to read or hear once and fully understand. That would make things so much more efficient, not to mention how much more we could/would learn. But, what we see and/or hear once is not always the truth nor is it always what really is. It is up to us to spend our time digging deeper to understand.

Reading one verse of God’s Word did not get it done for me. Frankly, without the commentary and the references in my bibles, I would have simply sat here and guessed. As I read and study in the mornings I have 3 open bibles and access to other commentary on the web to assist with my understanding. It is that deeper study that gives me a better understanding and it is not uncommon for me to find more and different meaning later when my study leads me to the same verse.

I encourage you to dig deeper than what you see here and in what you read otherwise. My study is certainly different than yours will be and I want nothing more that for each of us to understand what God has in store for you as a unique follower of Christ.

What does your study look like? Are you looking at one thing and accepting, or are you challenging yourself to dig deeper? Are you willing to study to understand and find?

We have been in this world for a while now, me, over 45 years. Yet, we were not there in the beginning like those in the Word of God.

“¹That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—³that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” – 1 John 1:1 & 3 (ESV)

I have a personal mission statement that gives me direction through this world: “Improve lives through growth and learning as an example of Christ’s love.” That mission is focused on the learning and growth of those around me. Although I am focused on teaching, I was not there to experience all things or even there as things began. I am simply here to get others in front of the resources that have, or will be able to give accurate first hand account.

When we are learning and growing, doesn’t it make sense to reach to the experts for first hand knowledge. When investigating, the authorities look for the “eyewitnesses” and they listen, but with speculation, to those that are simply talking of the events. Why wouldn’t we do the same? Shouldn’t we be investigating from the “eyewitnesses” that were there in the beginning?

Now, don’t get me wrong, we do not always have access to the “eyewitnesses” so that we can get the “real” story and information. I will say though, that should not stop us from digging further to verify the information being shared. Here is an example: When you count out 50 pennies for that stick of gum at the counter, do you count them once and say, “we good”? Likely you count them a second time to confirm and if you get something different you count a third time. Wouldn’t it make sense to confirm and then verify again to make the most accurate choice and/or decision possible? Those there in the beginning provide a more accurate picture and speed our knowledge gain, minimizing the time needed for further investigation.

When you are looking at your faith, where are you getting your information? Who are you relying on for the accurate story? Are you looking to those that were there from the beginning?

“³He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” – Hebrews 7:3 (ESV)

With my study of beginning, I have discerned that everything has a beginning with the exception of God who was, is, and always will be. This begs the question, based on the verse above and what we know of Melchizedek; how is it that he does not have a beginning?

Let’s go back to the appearance of Melchizedek in Genesis:

“¹⁸And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)” – Genesis 14:18 (ESV)

There is no genealogy reference to where he came from, no family history, no written account of his life, however Melchizedek was known, “He was priest of God Most High.” He must have had a beginning somewhere.

Just because it is not written down, does not mean it did not happen, there is just no discernible record of it happening. Someone, somewhere knew of the life and times of Melchizedek.

In our world of instant gratification and information (social media presence), we believe what we are able to find on the internet. I often joke that “it must be true because it was found on the internet”. That however does not make it true, nor does it mean there was something before then as well. How many events in the world happened that you or I do not know about? Did Gandhi just appear out of thin air? What about Buddha?

It is hard for us to grasp the idea of materialization and frankly, with the exception of God, there is none. Jesus was before He was born, but our acceptance of Him would not have been as easy had He just appeared. God knew this and therefore, He was born into this world so that we would more easily accept and believe. A created beginning for our benefit. THANK YOU GOD!!!

When you are looking at things, are you aware of the beginning? What drives your acceptance of something as real? Have you looked deeper into things in search of a beginning?

“¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” – Colossians 1:18 (ESV)

He being Jesus. He is many things. For the purpose of my study today, “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead”.

Jesus was born into a manger and was celebrated as our savior, and when He died and raised from the dead, He began His reign. He was the first to be raised from the dead; beginning there.

It is up to us to accept and believe in Christ as the beginning. We know it based on the biblical accounts. We know it as we are taught in Sunday School and Church. We know it as we all focus on a belief system. We now need to accept, believe, and act on the truths as we know them.

Everything in my life has to come second to Christ and my belief in He as the beginning. I am only a vessel from which Christ can work. I know and now should be fully believing in Christ and the beginning.

When you are thinking of Christ, where do you place Him in your hierarchy of belief systems? Are you acknowledging what you know to be true about Christ? Will you place Him at the beginning?

You know, for some reason this morning is the first I recall really thinking about those words and where I had seen/heard them before. Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning…” and again in John 1:1 this morning.

“¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1 (ESV)

At the start of the world, God was there to start things off. And reflected here in John 1:1 we see again that God was there before everything else.

When I think of God creating the heavens and earth, I have this picture of him pulling together things and forming them with his hands. That would not be possible had he not already been there in the first place. So, God had to be in the beginning.

How do you picture the creation of the heavens and earth? What is your picture of “the beginning”? Are you able to determine God being there “in the beginning”?

I have begun to formally read “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey and he notes the 2^nd habit as “Begin with the end in mind”. Now this morning I read the following verse and am a bit conflicted, at first. Then I read and study a bit more and realize that they are not conflicting, but complimenting indeed.

“⁸Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” – Ecclesiastes 7:8 (ESV)

You see, looking toward the end even before we begin is important in that we are able to create a clear vision of the results we are seeking. If we are only looking at the beginning, and focusing on that, we will likely find ourselves only starting something and not sticking with it.

And the compliment comes when we reach the end and get to experience the satisfaction of reaching the end and accomplishing that which we set out to accomplish. Celebrating the end lasts for a much longer time that the anticipation of the beginning.

I have a co-worker that does needlepoint. When he begins the new item, it looks like just a row of knots. But as he continues, you start to see the scarf or hat begin to emerge. Once complete, that item is useful for quite a while and even those around him are able to enjoy the end of the journey he took in creation. That item would never have come about had he not began, however the end is much more satisfying than the beginning ever could have been.

When we are looking at things, where is your focus, the beginning or end? Think about the satisfaction you get from the beginning and end of something, which gives you more satisfaction? Are you able to realize that you cannot have an ending without a beginning?

We have to start somewhere. When I think about the beginning of something, I think about commitment. Too often I believe that we start something expecting things to happen immediately and when it does not, we are disappointed and give up. When we commit to something, we work to see it through no matter the time it takes nor the actions we have to take to make it happen.

“⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” – Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

“Fear of the Lord” is our reverence and commitment to Him. Having reverence and commitment to the Lord is the place to start in our knowledge quest.

I jump back to the beginning of my commitment to learning that began in the spring of 2017. I started my commitment to the Lord in October of 2016 when I was challenged to share my study with others. For about 6 months I was focused on getting closer to the Lord and that drove some habit changes that created more time for me in the mornings. With that time I started to read a book that had been given to me. Three days later I had finished the book and picked up another, and four days later I was looking for another. I found myself seeking more and more to learn, and it all started with my commitment to the Lord.

I wonder what is next for me, but I know that whatever it is, it all starts with my commitment to the Lord and my continued pursuit of wisdom and instruction that He will provide.

What are you seeking as comes to knowledge? Are you willing to commit to the Lord and allow Him to provide what is next? Will you seek the beginning before you start?

There is a “start” to everything and everyone. Even the heavens and earth began.

“¹In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

Seems like a simple concept that everything has a beginning, but it is true. The heavens and earth had a beginning. Games have a beginning. Books have a beginning. Meals have a beginning. Life has a beginning. My writing has a beginning. Everything and everyone has a beginning.

Now is my time to begin a new. I have to look at things from the start. I have a chance to begin new things and begin to look for new opportunities.

I began a few years ago when a friend challenged me to “take” time for Bible Study, and over three years later, I am not only studying, but “blogging” (for some of you that may be a shock, I know that I am). Around the same time, I started reading to grow my knowledge and continue learning, and I am now reading about 50 books a year.

I choose to begin again, with what, not sure at this point, but beginning I will. We all have to start somewhere and right here, right now is as good a time as any.

What have you began in the past? Can you look back and see where something in your life began? Will you be able to start something new and focus on the beginning?