Moses provided one of the most audacious statements in the Bible: “Then God looked over all that he had made, and it was excellent in every way” (Gen 1:31 LB). I used audacious simply because of the magnitude and breadth of Moses’ claim—that God, Almighty God, created something remarkable. Often times, in conversation, I am captivated by people who try to imagine what heaven will be like; for instance whether or not they will see their loved ones or what questions they wish to ask God. I don’t know what the questions will be, but I know this much, I don’t have any comprehension of what the experience of heaven will be like. I do know that we will be in God’s presence with no more tears, no more death, no more crying, no more pain, and the surroundings will be brand spankin’ new (cf. Rev 21:3ff). While I thank John and others for their attempts to describe heaven, I am somehow certain that we are only given a speck of the real deal. On the same note, please do not ask me to explain what earth, prior to the fall, must’ve been like. I could try to imagine what Moses meant by excellent, but unfortunately, my imagination would fail me because words cannot describe what God calls excellent. I will only limit what it was like if I attempt an explanation. My job, however, is to marvel. And that too—is a very complex thing, trying to marvel at God’s creation—which was succinctly called, excellent. This seemingly obvious conflict is because we live in a broken world. We were born into a world humbled and wearied by suffering, brokenness, pain, sorrow, trouble, heartache, and burdened by death. Creation, as we know it, simply does not represent what God called excellent thousands of years ago. This is not the same reality that God was pleased with before the creation of man (Gen 1:25). Unfortunately, we live in a world marred and saturated in sin. What about restoration? That is what Christ did for you and me, as Paul asserted in his letter to the Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17). This new reality is simply amazing. God’s purpose never changed. Though the world as we know it today may not be the excellent one that God fashioned thousands of years ago, God has restored excellence through you and me, ardent supporters of Almighty God through Jesus Christ. Though we live in a broken world, the reality is that the Son of God brought restoration for all who choose the Cross as the central landmark in their lives. Consequently, the excellent is no longer defined by external realities, but rather, by the Cross of Christ. I pray that you will recognize the intentional restoration taking place within each of us daily. Indeed, David was right when he said, “Lord our Lord, your name is the most [excellent] name in all the earth” (Ps 8:9 NCV). Rejoice therefore, for we wear the name, this most excellent name, because of restoration guaranteed by the Cross!
Monday, February 6, 2012
“Excellent—restored!”
Moses provided one of the most audacious statements in the Bible: “Then God looked over all that he had made, and it was excellent in every way” (Gen 1:31 LB). I used audacious simply because of the magnitude and breadth of Moses’ claim—that God, Almighty God, created something remarkable. Often times, in conversation, I am captivated by people who try to imagine what heaven will be like; for instance whether or not they will see their loved ones or what questions they wish to ask God. I don’t know what the questions will be, but I know this much, I don’t have any comprehension of what the experience of heaven will be like. I do know that we will be in God’s presence with no more tears, no more death, no more crying, no more pain, and the surroundings will be brand spankin’ new (cf. Rev 21:3ff). While I thank John and others for their attempts to describe heaven, I am somehow certain that we are only given a speck of the real deal. On the same note, please do not ask me to explain what earth, prior to the fall, must’ve been like. I could try to imagine what Moses meant by excellent, but unfortunately, my imagination would fail me because words cannot describe what God calls excellent. I will only limit what it was like if I attempt an explanation. My job, however, is to marvel. And that too—is a very complex thing, trying to marvel at God’s creation—which was succinctly called, excellent. This seemingly obvious conflict is because we live in a broken world. We were born into a world humbled and wearied by suffering, brokenness, pain, sorrow, trouble, heartache, and burdened by death. Creation, as we know it, simply does not represent what God called excellent thousands of years ago. This is not the same reality that God was pleased with before the creation of man (Gen 1:25). Unfortunately, we live in a world marred and saturated in sin. What about restoration? That is what Christ did for you and me, as Paul asserted in his letter to the Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17). This new reality is simply amazing. God’s purpose never changed. Though the world as we know it today may not be the excellent one that God fashioned thousands of years ago, God has restored excellence through you and me, ardent supporters of Almighty God through Jesus Christ. Though we live in a broken world, the reality is that the Son of God brought restoration for all who choose the Cross as the central landmark in their lives. Consequently, the excellent is no longer defined by external realities, but rather, by the Cross of Christ. I pray that you will recognize the intentional restoration taking place within each of us daily. Indeed, David was right when he said, “Lord our Lord, your name is the most [excellent] name in all the earth” (Ps 8:9 NCV). Rejoice therefore, for we wear the name, this most excellent name, because of restoration guaranteed by the Cross!
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