– Secret Place Insights –
Dear One, I picked up the phone to hear a distraught voice. It was another desperate prayer request, one to add to my own. I listened as the woman cried out her concerns over a deep, lingering sorrow. It was like so many of our sorrows, one that, if not for sin, could have been bypassed. Surprisingly, after the conversation ended, my thoughts did not linger on the request, but went directly to Genesis, to God’s perfect creation, a place of peace and beauty, the Garden of Eden.
It made me think of God’s original plan for Man. To think that God created Man for sweet fellowship, for a harmonious relationship, for an ease of existence midst unfathomable beauty – deepened my sorrow. Then, I envisioned the most beautiful of scenes. There the sun highlighted quiet waters surrounded by lush flowers, ancient trees stretched toward a blue sky where summer clouds lazily moved ever so slightly. The vision almost glowed. It was unreal.
Isn’t that what the thought of Heaven on Earth sometimes seems to us? Unreal. Fantasy. It only seems that way because Man chose sin. And Man continues to do so – each day, each one of us – in various degrees. Thank God for God, and for His love, and forgiveness.
There is no denying, that sometimes doubts arise. Is there really a Heaven, a Hell? And when those doubts come, we ask ourselves such questions as, was there such a place as the Garden of Eden, did God really walk with Adam, is there truly a heavenly home in my future?
At such times, I look back into history, my history, my history with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And when I do, I find memory markers all along life’s path that remind me of God’s faithfulness.
In the Old Testament, when God did something wondrous for the Israelites, He told them to stack stones as markers to help them recall what He had done for them. For He was well aware of how quickly they forgot the nearly unforgettable. How could that be?
Is it perhaps the work of Satan? If he can cause us to forget God and His Righteousness, that creates plenty of wiggle room for him to do the same dirty work now as he did in the Garden of Eden.
Markers of God faithfulness? If we are to keep in our minds markers of God’s faithfulness, isn’t it only right, that there should be markers of our faithfulness to God? It seems so. For how can we recognize God’s faithfulness, if we remain unfaithful? And what would our markers of faithfulness to God be, certainly not just piles of stones?
In today’s society, one hears the question of God’s faithfulness often, but how often do we hear our faithfulness being questioned? I fear, not often, certainly not often enough.
If we were as concerned over our faithfulness to God, as we are His faithfulness to us, perhaps Heaven on Earth would not seem such a fantasy?
“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.” Psalm 65:8
Blessings for another week.
Susanne
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