The Bible tells us that, before man was created, our planet was “without form and void”—an utter ruin and an uninhabitable wasteland (Genesis 1:2). Yet God restored it and made it a beautiful paradise for humanity, filled with life, in only six days. He then declared all He had wrought to be “very good” (Genesis 1:31) and rested from the work of creation on the seventh day—His work complete.

My father was always fascinated by storms. News of one approaching would draw him to our small front porch, where he would stand, watching it build along the horizon. As a child, I would join him at times, staring into the dark clouds in the distance—seeing them move, swirl, and gather as they darkened further still, and wondering what they held in store as they drew closer to our home.