I was sitting on the deck in my new furniture (Thanks Craft Baptist Church!) and enjoying a fine spring morning. As birds welcomed the new dawn, the sun filtered through every shade of green imaginable. It seems everyone loves spring. The dreary dead winter is ending and the world is bursting forth in new life. At the same time, it brings its own share of troubles. The beauty of the flowers and trees have brought with them spikes in the pollen counts. Some of the new life emerging are mosquitoes and fire ants. Spring storms are rolling through with sudden fury. Along with the beauty, come reminders of the brokenness of our world.
It wasn’t always that way. When God created Earth, He made a special place for Adam and Eve. This paradise of creation was in perfect harmony. Imagine bees without stings, roses without thorns, and life without death. But sin broke that. Adam and Eve brought death into the world through their sin and have passed that to us. The ramifications of that act still reverberate to this day.
The good news is that it will not always be that way! God will restore the brokenness in human existence and all of creation. Paul spoke of this in Romans chapter 8.
“22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?” Romans 8:22-24
Last Sunday, we celebrated our Savior’s resurrection. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and rose again as the down payment of the future restoration of creation and eternal life to all who are in Him. We have hope for the future. We live to make things better now, and know that ultimately He will restore creation to its former glory.
For now we enjoy the rose and avoid the thorn and sneeze our way through the beauty of spring, but remember, the restoration is coming! Don’t lose hope.
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Ramblings by James 