Nothing Lasts

1-9-15

Weather report from Heaven: Sunny and bright with lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verses of the day: Genesis 1:31 "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day."

Genesis 3:23-24 "So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."

Nothing lasts! I mean nothing at all lasts. Look at how fast the whole story of God's prize creation changes from one of God being content with the human race He had created to one of such disgust with their disobedience in the Garden that He banishes them from ever entering it again. Two chapters later, the whole picture has changed and with it the fate of all of mankind. God's plan wasn't meant to include rebellion. He though given free choice, man would choose the contentment of knowing that they could have perfect peace and enjoy everything in creation except for one little tree. Imagine His surprise and disgust when Adam and Eve were more interested in the one thing they couldn't have, then all they did have. No wonder we all still struggle so much with greed and focusing on what we don't have instead of being content with what we do have. It is inherent in our human nature traced all the way back to the first human beings.

Well luckily God had a backup plan or else we would all be destined for eternal separation from Him. Through Christ and His eminent return, one day all believers will get to experienced the original plan that God had for us here on earth. Namely, to live without sin and evil and darkness in a world of blissful contentment surrounded by His unencumbered glory. When you look at that way, is it any wonder that nothing lasts if even the most idealistic living conditions ever know to man couldn't last but for a brief moment? It makes you appreciate even more God's unfathomable love for us in that He was still willing to pay the ultimate, unimaginable cost of having His son come to earth, suffer through the worst of all human suffering, ending in an excruciating crucifixion, just in order to give us a life line back to His Holy presence. In His righteousness He could not receive us in our sinful state, but loved us too much to leave us out of His "family." Christ;s death and resurrection that paid the penalty due us for our sinful rebellion, at its core restored our ability to be called Heirs of His Kingdom. Now that is true love, More than anything we can ever fully comprehend or imagine.

But given our current fragile situation on earth until the return of the Eternal King, is it really any wonder that nothing lasts? Relationships are falling apart left and right. It seems like marriage is a convenience rather than a commitment, where it is as easy as writing check to get out of something that is not working, rather than investing time to fix it. Friendships last as long as both parties are getting what they need from the other, but as soon as the equation tilts just a bit from equilibrium, then it is on to the next 'friend." Jobs come and go, companies get bought and sold, and employees get tossed around like dishrags trying to put their hope in what they do, only to find out what they have been doing doesn't exist anymore. Putting your "security" in a job, or a company, is not what it once was a generation ago. Then there was a two sided commitment on behalf of both the employer and employee. But those days are as a dead the Dinosaurs. Our health is good today and bad tomorrow. unexpected news can pop up at anytime and that can rock us to our core. People we love get sick. People we love die. It shakes us and causes us grief. It rattles our sense of stability, which is an illusion in itself.

Sports team win championships one year and are celebrated as heroes. The next year they fail to repeat and are vilified as goats. The media is so sensationalized, that it is constantly looking to tear down those who a short while earlier it was lifting up. Politicians rise to power on the hopes of being able to "fix" things, only to fall in a heap of corruption and abuse of power. Love affairs that start out steamy sometimes end in deceit or even murder. Mortal man is no match for the lust of the flesh. See David and Bathsheba. See anyone you know who has had an affair that has caused great heartache. We are all vulnerable. The evil one is crafty.1st Peter 5:8 points that out. Nothing has really changed there since Christ was on the earth, and it never will. 

Nothing lasts. Period. Except for the promises of God that are fulfilled in His son Jesus Christ. "He is the same yesterday today and forever", as promised in Hebrews 13:8. His return is inevitable, as promised in Revelations 22:12-13 "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. He alone will restore us and make things the way they were meant to be in the beginning. He promises in Revelation 21:4 that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Until then, nothing will last. Anxiousness will be our constant companion as we desperately try to cling to things which themselves are slipping away. No wonder why we feel anxious. Everything is in motion and everyone is looking out for themselves. But the best news of all is even that won't last. Soon, Christ will return and make everything new. Everything newly created will be the way it should have been all along and that will last forever. Amen!