In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The Hebrew word for “create” (bara) expresses the fact that God created the world from nothing. You may have heard the Latin term ex nihilo to describe creation. Ex nihilo means “out of nothing.”  Everything God made was new, perfect, and complete. In Genesis 2:7, we read that the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the earth. The word translated as “formed” is the Hebrew word yatsar.

Jeremiah 10:16 (NIV)
He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things,
including Israel, the people of his inheritance— the Lord Almighty is his name.

God is the yatsar, the Maker of all things. This word describes a potter at the wheel, hands on, forming and shaping the clay into a work of art. The word describes a personal touch. God is personally involved with his creation. He is the Maker, the yatsar, of all things.

Maybe you are convinced that God is distant. You feel he is hands off, standing in the background, unwilling or unable to get involved in your world. Nothing could be farther from the truth! He is a God who is near, working intimately in the circumstances and events of your life. He is yatsar, the potter who is forming you into a priceless vessel to be used for his eternal purposes. God loves you so much that he sent his Son to die for you on the cross so he could call you his child.

Father,
Thank you for stooping down to be involved in my life. Thank you that, through Jesus, I can have an eternal relationship with you. Thank you for your love and work in my life. Thank you for being the Maker of all things.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.