God created the entire universe out of nothing; it was originally very good. Before God began to create the universe, nothing else existed except God himself. Col 1:16 is clear, all things were created through him and for him and he created it to glorify himself.
The inanimate creation glorifies God mechanically (Ps. 19:1), obeying natural laws, which govern the physical world. The animate creation does so instinctively, responding to impulses within. Man alone is capable of obeying God consciously and willingly, and thus glorifies God most fully. God had a purpose in bringing our realm into being namely to bring himself glory and both the inanimate and animate creation fulfills that purpose of God.
Creation is an act of his will, not an act to which he is driven by any force or consideration outside himself. He is the only one who has brought reality into being. The original act of divine creation is unique. It is unlike human “creative” acts, which involve fashioning, using materials at hand. The doctrine of creation also means that nothing made is intrinsically evil. Everything that is not God has derived its existence from him (Gen 1:1-2).