Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

7 January 2024

Reading from Job 14-16

“Mortals, born of woman,
    are of few days and full of trouble.”

Job 14:1

     This world is not functioning as God intended it.  We look at the perfect fellowship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God in the paradise of Eden and we see a tiny glimpse of the good life that God truly wants for us.  I love the phrase in our book of beginnings, “then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”[1]  Imagine that.  Walking with God in the most beautiful garden on Earth in the cool of the day.  But the decision of the first humans to live life on their terms rather than follow God’s ways had catastrophic results for planet Earth.  Before sin entered the world there was no stress, no sickness, no tragedy, no shame, no guilt, no death.  Now, thanks to sin, human life in our present reality is short is full of trouble as Job said.

     Thanks be to God that there is hope for redemption!  God can take what is ugly and make it beautiful.[2]  “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned…For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”[3]  Every time someone decides to believe and follow God, every time an individual yields to the guidance of the Holy Spirit instead of their own selfish desires, more of Heaven comes to Earth and the Kingdom of Light expands, pushing back the darkness.[4]  This divine strategy was revealed in how our Redeemer taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”[5] 

     Jesus is our perfect example of what it means to live life guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Through trusting and following Him, we can enjoy the freedom and blessing of abundant and eternal life!  In another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane, He showed us the secret of how to experience this life.  We are to surrender our will to God the Father.  The Lord modeled this for us when He prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”[6]  In His sovereignty, God the Father gave humans free will[7] and look what we’ve done with it.  The solution for bringing true redemption, power, healing and hope to this world is by surrendering our authority to God.[8]  Let go and let God.[9]  Let the Spirit have His perfect way in our lives.  One day, for the children of God, their days will no longer be short and filled with trouble.  On that Day, our lives will be filled with nothing but goodness and blessing for all eternity.[10]  God is leading His children to another garden and in it we will eat from the Tree of Life and be satisfied.[11]  God wants for us a New Eden. He is preparing it and preparing us for it NOW.

“Lord Jesus, I pray that You will give me strength to say no to sin and yes to You and Your ways.  Fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit!  Give me guidance and power needed to do what is right in Your sight.  May Your kingdom expand as more and more people decide to follow You and do Your will on Earth as it is in Heaven.  Let me decrease while You increase.  Enable me to be Your hands and feet in doing Your work.  Amen.”

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord

 as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:14

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[1] Genesis 3:8

[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11

[3] Romans 5:15,17

[4] Colossians 1:13-14

[5] Matthew 6:10

[6] Luke 22:42

[7] Genesis 1:26

[8] James 4:7

[9] Proverbs 23:26

[10] Revelation 21:4

[11] Revelation 2:7, 22:1-5