It was the first Sunday of October, Church was done for the morning and Randy was relaxing in his office while looking out the window at the brilliant colored leaves. “I suppose it won't be long now until I have to grab some rakes out of the shed and start raking leaves.” He thought out loud as he gave a big sigh “Maybe I can get the youth group to do it again.” he thought but that was suddenly interrupted by the sound a an explosion and somebody yelling “Quick!! Somebody!! Call the fire department!!”
Somebody was in
that shed and now he was running around screaming like a maniac and
“Is that smoke coming out of the shed?” Randy hollered and took
off. “Who's there?” He hollered out as he came around the corner
to the shed, “Are you all right?” “It's still isn’t working.”
came a coughing and sputtering response.
“Is that you
Harold Peterson?” Randy asked as he looked over a boy covered in,
well, covered in something. “I think it’s still me.” Harold
answered still coughing and sputtering. “What are you doing?”
Randy demanded to know, “Are you trying to blow up the church?”
“No.” Harold responded, “It It was my experiment - again.”
“Experiment?”
Randy said, “ What experiment?” “The one I am working on for
the school science fair.” Harold said. “Well, why are you working
on it in the church's shed?” Randy asked. “Because they wouldn't
let me back in the lab at school?” Harold said, “It kind of no
longer exist. I had to much powder in my experiment and it blew up.”
“And now your
trying to blow up the church.” Randy stated. “No.” Harold said
as he started to clean himself off, “I’m just trying to come up
with a cure for the science fair.” “A cure?” Randy questioned,
“What are you trying to cure, cancer?” “Somebody else is
trying to do that.” Harold said, “ I wanted to create a cure for
something even worse.”
“Something
worse?” Randy asked wondering what it could be. “A cure for
death?” “Well, maybe sort of but not really.” Harold said
confusing Randy “You see,” Harold went on, “Death is the result
of sin, and, well, I’m trying to come up with a cure for sin. All
you would have to do is drink my potion and you would never sin
again.”
“And just how
would you get people to drink it?” Randy asked. “Well, why
wouldn't they?” Harold asked sure everyone would want it. “God
has already provided a cure for sin and most people don’t want it?”
Randy told Harold. “What?!” Harold shouted, “He beat me to it?
Oh well, the stuff didn’t taste very good anyways. Well, back to
the drawing board. By the way, do you have a drawing board I can
borrow? The one I was using was destroyed in the explosion.”
“No.” Randy said, “But I do have some rakes and a church yard
that is going to need some raking.”
Through out the
Bible references are made to something in the beginning of Genesis.
It is the first story in Genesis, the first one in time, it is the
story of creation. The story of creation can be found in Genesis
1:2-2:3 and can be summed up as follows:
- Day 1: God created space, time, matter and lightened
- Day 2: God separated the waters
- Day 3: God produced dry land and plants
- Day 4: God made the heavenly bodies such as the sun and stars
- Day 5: God made birds and fish
- Day 6: God made the land animals and God made man
- Day 7: God rested.
When we read the
story of creation one thing we read over and over again is that what
God made was very good. We can see that in Genesis 1:4,
10, 12, 18, 21, 25 & 31. The last time God says what He made was
good He say it was “Very Good.” You can't get any better than
that but is it still good?
When one looks
around us today, what we see is far from very good. Romans 5:12 says
that Sin came into the world because of what one man did, and with
sin came death. This is why everyone must die—because everyone
sinned. (NCV) Ever since that day sin has plagued mankind and
all of creation but is there a cure?
One may try to
solve the problem of sin and its consequences like Harold with some
kind of potion but God has given us a cure. Romans 6:23 says For
the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV) and John 3:16 says For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have eternal life. (ESV)
One day everything
will be restored. We are reminded of this in...
- Romans 8:19-23 For all creation is waiting patiently and hopefully for that future day when God will resurrect his children. For on that day thorns and thistles, sin, death, and decay --the things that overcame the world against its will at God's command--will all disappear, and the world around us will share in the glorious freedom from sin which God's children enjoy. For we know that even the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sickness and death as they await this great event. And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us--bodies that will never be sick again and will never die. (TLB)
- 2 Peter 3:10-13 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (ESV)
God
did make everything good, go ahead and read the story for yourself.
And as you do, Here's Something To Ponder
- As you look at creation can you see past the corruption to see the good?
- Will you acknowledge God as Creator?
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