Written by Tracy Figley | CEO Strong Tower Christian Media
I was sitting by the pool, soaking up the rays and just relaxing. I was wondering why vacations have to come to an end.
I live in Ohio where many days seem overcast. We worry about things like snakes and tornadoes and the scenery is, well…mostly flat!
That’s why I often choose to vacation in Florida. There are more sunny days, more things to do and the majestic beauty of God’s handiwork; the ocean.
On this particular afternoon while relaxing by the pool, my thoughts were interrupted when the sun ducked behind some dark clouds. I began to get concerned. It was probably nothing, but I’ve spent enough time in the Sunshine State to understand that dark clouds could usher in a hurricane. Then I heard a rustling in the bushes beyond the pool. Probably just the wind but instead of dismissing it, my mind started playing out a scenario that an alligator was chasing me! I decided to go inside the house.
Even what seems to be a tropical paradise isn’t perfect. Why is it that no matter where you live, nature can be beautiful one minute and turn ugly the next? Why do animals sometimes attack people? Why does weather threaten life and limb? Why does disease take the old and young alike?
God’s Word has the answer. Romans 8:20-22 states: Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Since the fall of man in the garden, recorded in Genesis chapter 3, our world has been broken. We can still bask in the beauty of God’s magnificent creation, but all will not be set right until our Lord establishes a new Heaven and a new earth at the end of the age. That will be true paradise and that is something to look forward to!
