God is not a cosmic ogre, waiting to inflict pain upon
defenseless human beings. He is a loving, supernatural Being, who wanted us to
live in Paradise with Him forever. His ultimate desire is that we allow Him to
give us His best. He does not want robots worshiping Him; therefore, like the
angels, He gave mankind a free will to choose whether to serve God, self or
Satan with our life (Joshua 24:15).
God gave humanity just one stipulation in Paradise: eat of
any tree except one. Adam and Eve had all of Paradise to enjoy and to eat to
their heart's content. However, their human pride, curiosity and greed were
fueled by Satan's deception, and they stooped to his level to try to become
like God (Ezekiel 28; Isaiah 14).
Where was their gratitude for everything God gave them: for
the perfect environment, for their love for one another, for the animals and
all of creation, which dwelt together in perfect unity and harmony (Isaiah
11:6-8) and for daily face-to-face communication with God in the
cool of the evening? (Genesis 3:8)
Due to human pride, all of creation was instantly under the
same curse of sin that we are now. Since that day creation impatiently awaits
the revelation of the children of God in order to be restored to its rightful
place in the paradise of the new heaven and new earth (Revelation
21:1; Isaiah 65:17). God has given mankind 6,000 years to repent and
come to Him.
When Adam and Eve realized they were naked and felt shame,
God killed an animal to make clothes for them to wear (Genesis 3:21). That
innocent blood had to have atonement, a perfect Lamb, sacrificed to pay the sin
debt. Jesus, the Lamb of God, paid that debt and freed us all to live in
eternity with our Heavenly Father as co-heirs with Him of the Kingdom of God.
Prayer:
Father God, we thank You that this earth will not live
under the curse of sin forever. Jesus will return with His army and with one
word of His mouth, he will destroy the maniacal army of Satan. He will make a
new heaven and a new earth for us to enjoy for eternity. You never send
judgment without first sending warning, often for hundreds of years before You
acts on Your righteous judgment. I pray that people worldwide will heed the
warning You are sending in these last days. You will never, ever leave or
forsake us and we sing praises to You for Your steadfast love.
Thought for the Day:
We rejoice in knowing that Christ abides within us by His
Spirit as we cling to Him as a branch on a vine.
