A place to relax, rest and hopefully refresh after a long day. We like our homes. This is proven by the home improvement stores and products that we purchase to make our homes more relaxing and enjoyable. Amazing how we spend so much time and effort to shape our lives and our surroundings to include just a tiny bit of heaven.
On the other hand at various church events and all night singing events one may hear the popular song “This world is not my home I’m just a passing thru. My treasure is laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in this world any more.” Throw in a country twang and pretty soon the boots are stompin and the hands are clappin. The party is on! The problem is that the party is here not there. If we really believe this then why do we cling to what exists here and now?
In the world of nature there are glimpses into the joy and rest that God originally designed in the Garden of Eden but was destroyed and corrupted by sin. Several months ago the June 26, 2011 edition of Parade magazine contained an article on unlikely friendships. The article was referencing a book that documented unusual animal friendships. For example there was the kitten in Bali that became the pet of a monkey. Even when given the chance to leave she still returned to the monkey. The brief article went on to give examples and photos of animals that should have been enemies or at best not associate with each other. Now they were living in peace. They are glimmers of normal.
My thoughts were drawn to Genesis 1 where God spoke everything into existence and it was seen as good. Then there is some thing that God had Isaiah write about the end.
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together; And the lion will eat straw like the ox. Isaiah 11:6-7
The Bible explains that the Garden of Eden was a place of peace and communion with God until it was corrupted by sin. The reality is that what we see around us today is not normal and not the way God intended for it to be. As we see from the context of these verses Isaiah is recording the events of God’s kingdom at the end of time, the millennial kingdom.
So let us examine the Bible from start to finish. In the beginning and at the end of the story called life on earth we see a calm sense of normal peaceful relations exist with God being the central character. The middle portion shows the corruption of humanity, sin and God sending His son into the mess to provide a way out for sinful corrupted humanity. Our world and its sinful corruption has lead to fighting, killing and even eating in order to be the one that hopefully survives just a little bit longer to live a life that contains a bit of peace. This is nothing less than striving by the animals and people in order to attempt too recreate what God intended for us all along.
Jesus gives peace internally and helps us live in contrast to an external world that does not understand real peace and rest. Jesus told his disciples about a helper and comforter that would come after His departure. He said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27). Do we understand? Have our minds really been transformed (Rom. 12:1-2)? Do we live as people who have been saved by God’s grace in order to “pursue peace with everyone and pursue holiness” (Heb12:14)? Do we live lives in constant contrast to our world as we earnestly hope for the future and a return to what is really normal?
On the other hand at various church events and all night singing events one may hear the popular song “This world is not my home I’m just a passing thru. My treasure is laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in this world any more.” Throw in a country twang and pretty soon the boots are stompin and the hands are clappin. The party is on! The problem is that the party is here not there. If we really believe this then why do we cling to what exists here and now?
In the world of nature there are glimpses into the joy and rest that God originally designed in the Garden of Eden but was destroyed and corrupted by sin. Several months ago the June 26, 2011 edition of Parade magazine contained an article on unlikely friendships. The article was referencing a book that documented unusual animal friendships. For example there was the kitten in Bali that became the pet of a monkey. Even when given the chance to leave she still returned to the monkey. The brief article went on to give examples and photos of animals that should have been enemies or at best not associate with each other. Now they were living in peace. They are glimmers of normal.
My thoughts were drawn to Genesis 1 where God spoke everything into existence and it was seen as good. Then there is some thing that God had Isaiah write about the end.
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together; And the lion will eat straw like the ox. Isaiah 11:6-7
The Bible explains that the Garden of Eden was a place of peace and communion with God until it was corrupted by sin. The reality is that what we see around us today is not normal and not the way God intended for it to be. As we see from the context of these verses Isaiah is recording the events of God’s kingdom at the end of time, the millennial kingdom.
So let us examine the Bible from start to finish. In the beginning and at the end of the story called life on earth we see a calm sense of normal peaceful relations exist with God being the central character. The middle portion shows the corruption of humanity, sin and God sending His son into the mess to provide a way out for sinful corrupted humanity. Our world and its sinful corruption has lead to fighting, killing and even eating in order to be the one that hopefully survives just a little bit longer to live a life that contains a bit of peace. This is nothing less than striving by the animals and people in order to attempt too recreate what God intended for us all along.
Jesus gives peace internally and helps us live in contrast to an external world that does not understand real peace and rest. Jesus told his disciples about a helper and comforter that would come after His departure. He said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27). Do we understand? Have our minds really been transformed (Rom. 12:1-2)? Do we live as people who have been saved by God’s grace in order to “pursue peace with everyone and pursue holiness” (Heb12:14)? Do we live lives in constant contrast to our world as we earnestly hope for the future and a return to what is really normal?
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