There are so many mysteries in the universe. One of the greatest — one that humans have always eagerly sought — is the mystery of “what came before.”

What came before me? We look at old photos of our parents before we were born and read old letters. We spend a lot of money on genealogy companies and assemble family trees to try to find answers. We only get a vague idea.

What came before my people? We study ancient writings and dig up buried ruins. We compare notes across continents to formulate ideas of wars, migrations, and civilizations come and gone.

What came before humans? We study fossils, date carbon, and examine geology to try to piece together some clues about the earth. Theories of shifting tectonic plates and ancient cataclysmic events give us more vague ideas and rough timelines.

What came before that?

The question of “what came before” remains.

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

God was before. He has always been and always will be. He knows all the answers to “what came before” because He was there. It boggles my mind that there is nothing before God.

The Bible promises that one day, we will see Him clearly (instead of “through a glass darkly,” like now.) I really look forward to that day. I will sit at His feet and eagerly listen to the story of the time He created the universe. And I will ask Him, “What came before?”

Dear God, you are marvelous and mysterious. Your power and wisdom blow my mind. Your goodness, holiness, and beauty further amaze me. Your creation is astonishing, vast, and unknowable. I look forward to the day when I can sit at your feet and speak with you face to face about the mysteries of the universe.