Water sits right at the heart of the world’s oldest creation story, and that’s never felt like a coincidence to me. It seems the perfect medium of creation; It receives vibration, carries resonance, shapes itself to every container yet remains true to itself.
Right from the first page of Genesis, the Bible begins with a world submerged in water. Before dry ground, light, or even sky, God’s Spirit hovered over the deep, a vast, formless, watery expanse (Genesis 1:2). Water clearly played a big part in creation, but why? What’s so special about God starting with water?
The Deep Mystery: Water at the Beginning of Creation
Genesis 1:2 paints a scene: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” It’s no accident that water was mentioned before anything else took shape. God didn’t choose stone, fire, or wind as the foundation; he started with water, letting it be the original stage for his creative work.
In ancient cultures, water was more than just a resource; it was a symbol of possibility. The deep represents raw potential, something both mysterious and alive. Starting creation with water taps into life itself for if you stop drinking water you die within days. Besides water brings a sense of fluidity, openness, and transformation to the story.
“Water is a canvas, formless on its own but ready to carry anything placed upon it.” That’s how I see it.
Why Water? The Spiritual Meaning of Water in Genesis
Water has some unusual qualities that make it really special. It flows, adapts, reflects, and cleanses. That flexibility is a big part of why it’s used symbolically so often, both in the Bible and in nature. Spiritual thinkers have pointed out for centuries that water is receptive; it can reflect images, carry vibrations, or take on different forms without losing what it is at its core.
- Water Receives: Just like a lake mirrors the sky, water is receptive to whatever comes its way. It’s always open, never resisting, and able to reflect whatever is above or around it.
- Water Transmits: Drop a pebble, and ripples reach every part of the pond. Water moves energy and intention in a way that’s super visible and easy to grasp. This mirrors how spiritual energy is shared or passed on.
- Water Purifies: Water’s role in washing, healing, and renewing is hard to overstate. From baptism in the New Testament to ancient purification rituals, water frequently marks a fresh start or a new creation.
Having water as the first medium of creation hints at a universe that’s ready for life and change. It’s like God left the world open to transformation and new beginnings by starting with water’s gentle, open nature.
Connecting Spirit and Matter: How Water Acts as a Bridge
The image of God’s Spirit “hovering over the waters” is pretty powerful. That word for “hovering” can also mean “brooding” or “fluttering,” almost like a bird resting lightly on its nest, getting ready to stir things up. Water, in this scene, isn’t just background; it’s the very thing that the Spirit interacts with.
I’ve always thought of water as this bridge between the visible and the invisible. You can see and touch water, but it can also hold, reflect, and carry what you can’t see: sound, energy, and intention. When the Spirit moves upon waters, it’s almost like a spiritual message sent through the universe, turning chaos into order, emptiness into life.
When you dip your hand into water or listen to the sound of a stream, there’s an immediate experience of connection. That’s a daily reminder that spirit, matter, and life are all intertwined. Water is everywhere, from the world around us to our own bodies.
Your Body: Designed with Water in Mind
About 70% of the human body is water; no accident from a spiritual perspective. Being made mostly of water doesn’t just keep us alive physically. It connects us, in a pretty direct way, to the pattern of creation itself. Our bodies are like moving lakes and rivers, always flowing, changing, and ready to receive new things.
Plenty of people across traditions talk about this water-spirit connection. The Bible even returns to water and Spirit in passages like John 3:5: “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” That means we have to be transported by the water and the Spirit into the kingdom of Creation. There’s a link between the life-giving power of water and the deep, renewing movement of God’s Spirit inside us.
- Hydration goes deeper: Keeping yourself healthy and hydrated echoes the Genesis pattern, a moving, renewing, receptive presence within your own life.
- Water and feeling: Some even say our emotions move through us like water, shifting tides as we experience joy, sadness, or renewal.
When we think of spiritual practices today, drinking enough water, pausing to reflect by a body of water, or using water in ceremonies all echo that Genesis beginning. Water connects us physically and spiritually to the creation story, reminding us that receptivity and openness to renewal is ongoing.
How Water’s Qualities Mirror Spiritual Truths
When I read the story of creation, I see a handful of qualities in water worth keeping in mind, both spiritually and practically:
- Flexibility: Water doesn’t break when it faces obstacles. It moves around or over them, a pattern worth following in tough times.
- Humility: Water always flows to the lowest place, quietly nourishing everything it touches. There’s a certain humility there that’s hard not to admire.
- Connection: Water binds molecules, brings together soil and sun to grow life, and helps people gather in communities along rivers and coasts. Its unifying power is clear everywhere you look.
All these qualities help me see why God chose to start with water, setting up a world filled with both possibility and constant renewal.
Making It Personal: Finding Water’s Spiritual Message Today
When you try to connect with God or something bigger than yourself, you don’t need grand gestures. Tuning into the little things, like a glass of water, a flowing river, or even just a pause for reflection, can be a quiet but real way to reconnect with the movement of Spirit that’s always been part of the world.
For some people, meditating by the water, swimming, or just listening to rain can bring a sense of clarity or openness. That’s not by accident. Practices involving water are built into who we are, right down to our biology and our first stories.
Bible Verses and Deeper Meaning: Water Throughout Scripture
The use of water in Genesis connects with a bigger story that runs all throughout the Bible. Here are a few verses that dig into water’s symbolic and spiritual meaning:
- Genesis 1:2: As mentioned earlier, the Spirit of God hovers over the waters at the very start of creation.
- Psalm 23:2: “He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Stillness and refreshment come hand in hand with water.
- Isaiah 44:3: “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit on your offspring.” Here, the act of watering is paired directly with giving the Spirit.
- John 4:14: “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jesus uses water as a stand-in for something much deeper, spirit and new life.
Through the stories of Noah, the crossing of the Red Sea, and even Jesus walking on water, scripture keeps returning to water as a symbol of both turmoil and deliverance, chaos and renewal. In baptism, Christians use water to mark a new chapter, symbolizing spiritual rebirth. In the Psalms and prophets, water stands for God’s provision and blessing, as in times of drought and plenty.
Common Questions About Water in Creation
Q: What does it mean that water came first in creation?
A: Starting with water shows that God used something adaptable, open, and life-giving as his foundation. Water’s ability to shape, reflect, and carry life fits perfectly with the world’s ongoing creativity.
Even in birth, the waters break first and then the baby comes next.
Q: Is there a hidden message in the Spirit hovering over water?
A: Many believe it hints that God’s Spirit brings order, possibility, and life wherever it moves, even over chaos or emptiness. Water, being neutral and open, is the perfect medium for that new creation.
Q: How does the body’s water content tie into spirituality?
A: Being made mostly of water means we can carry, reflect, and renew ourselves just like the original creation. It’s a reminder to tune back into that gentle, life-giving movement within us.
Q: Why does water keep showing up in spiritual stories?
A: Because water shows change, renewal, and life across so many traditions. Its physical properties echo spiritual realities, making it a perfect metaphor for transformation, cleansing, and starting anew.
Bringing It All Together: Water’s Message for Today
Water isn’t just a backdrop in the creation story. It carries the DNA of spiritual life, flexibility, and openness into everything we do, right down to how we’re built. I like to think of water as a steady, patient teacher, always reflecting, always renewing, and always connecting us back to both our beginnings and our own spiritual adventures.
God’s choice to start everything with water sets the tone for a world where change, possibility, and new life never really stop. The next time you pour a glass of water or take a walk by the sea, let that simple act remind you of the openness and renewal available to you every day. Water’s message is gentle but lasting: life flows where there’s room to receive and room to grow.
If you’d like to keep walking this path, follow along. This is article 15 of a 300-part series exploring the Essence of Being, the Spirit of God and the journey back to Source. The Next article is: “How to Feel the Spirit Moving in Your Own Life.” For a unique practical angle and in-depth truths that make life less miserable and more fun read the book, ‘You Are That I Am‘.