I had a God visit this morning as I was reading the account of man's fall in Genesis 3:1-13. There are two passages of the Bible that break my heart every time I read them. One is in Genesis 3:20-24 and the other is Ezekiel 10:18-19. In the first, man is sent away from the Presence of God. In the second, God leaves the presence of man. Both times we painfully witness the separation of God and man brought about by man's rebellion and sin.
Genesis 3:20-24 20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Ezekiel 10:18-19 18 Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. 19 And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.
But then Jesus! Again God reaches out in love and tender mercy to His creation with the solution to that sad division. In Matthew we are told there is a voice shouting in the wilderness. A voice calling out for the preparation for the Lord's coming. "Prepare the way for the Lord's coming! Clear the road for Him! (Matthew 3:3b)
Oh glorious day! Our Savior had arrived. God's plan for redemption has come. And we know how the story went from there. But here is the second part to that story....now, God was not leaving. Yes, Jesus was taken up into heaven in physical form, but He left His Spirit here with us and in us. Hallelujah! God would remain with His people, live in them and lead them through life. We can walk with Him and talk with Him every moment, every day.
John 14:18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
Acts 2:1-4 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
But there's more. There is another day coming. The eternal life where we live in God's Presence forever. A time where He makes all things new and once again come down to earth with a magnificent city designed just for His children. He will make His home with us once again and we will have full access to His Presence, we will see Him as He is. Hallelujah a million times over!
Revelation 21:1-7 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
Glorious! Awesome! Wonderful! All the sorrow of sin, rebellion, and separation will be wiped away. We will once again, and for always, be united with our Lord and Father, our beautiful Creator. All of this hardship and heartache will fade away like a bad dream and we will spend our eternity in purposeful, joy filled worship and activity that brings both us and the Lord joy. I can't even imagine how amazing this will be. But it fills me with hope! It gives us all something to look forward to.
Lord, hallelujah and amen! Glory. You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, (Psalm 30:11) There will come a day where the sadness of this world and our sinful rebellion and its consequences will be no more. Let us prepare our hearts for that day, and live and serve with hope, faith and joy. We love You Lord. Thank You for making this happen. Thank You our Savior, Jesus, for making this possible. Hold us in Your loving arms until the day of Your plan's completion. Guide us and lead us by Your Holy Spirit each day. It is in the mighty and precious Name of Jesus I ask this. Amen.
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