Living in a fallen world

"[...] the whole creation sighs and suffers [...]." Romans 8.22

Nothing is perfect in this world, because sin has left its mark everywhere. Just look at the physical world around us to see it. Natural disasters and deformities are omnipresent. We live on a broken planet, which has nothing of its initial perfection.

We can thank God because He will not leave us forever in this imperfect world.

Before the entry of sin into the world, there were no earthquakes, tidal waves, hurricanes, storms, or extreme weather events. He had a perfect balance in nature.

But with the sin of Adam and Eve, "creation has been subject to vanity ..." Romans 8.20. Or, as an English version puts it : "Creation is confused." Confusion reigns all around us, in nature, in animals and in humans.

God never wanted animals and humans to have abnormalities and deformities, DNA breaks. Yet we all have genetic problems to one degree or another. No body works perfectly.

The effects of original sin are still seen in another way: I mean physical decadence and death. With sin, death entered the world ; that is why everything is broken down and ends up dying. Solomon, the greatest sage of all time, summed it up as follows : "No man has the power to hold his life and no one can retreat on the day of his death." Ecclesiastes 8.8

But that does not stop us from trying! Human beings go to great lengths to delay their aging with creams, lotions, Botox injections, cosmetic surgery, and so on. Yet, despite all our efforts, "[...] our material being is being destroyed little by little [...]" 2 Corinthians 4.16. It's inevitable. It's even a law of science. The second principle of thermodynamics states that everything is degraded.

I know there are more encouraging messages! There is no need to remind you that your body is aging and declining little by little. But there is hope. We can thank God because He will not leave us forever in this imperfect world.

When we are confronted with sadness, sorrow, suffering, impasses and discouragement, let us not forget this : God is preparing us a better place. He wants us to live forever with him in a perfect heaven, where there will be no pain or tears.

Thanksgiving for today

The Bible tells us : "... When the body is put in the earth, it is mortal, when it will be resurrected, it will be immortal.When it is put in the earth, it is miserable and weak, when it will be resurrected, it will be glorious and strong." 1 Corinthians 15: 42-43 And that's good news !

Rick Warren

Source (The Thought of the Day)