Typically my deep posts are developed after spending much time meditating and praying on a thought. But this post is a little different. I have invested some time on this, but much credit needs to go to someone else. Last Sunday evening we had an opportunity to go see one of my favorite authors, Donald Miller, in Greenville on a book tour. I was a little concerned that he would not be good as a speaker, but he was entertaining and had a solid message to communicate. It was quite a night.
Donald briefly touched on something during the evening that I found profound. It was as though understanding on a biblical subject was suddenly clear and making sense. I love it when that happens. What I would like to share involves my personal struggle and expands a little on the truth that Miller communicated.
I've always struggled with the concept of heaven being a perfect place. The problem is not with perfect as much as how we describe perfect. The concept of no worries or the concept of floating around on clouds forever...for eternity...maybe eating bon-bons, sounds, well, it just sounds boring. For me, I've wondered if that along with a few family reunions is all there is to it. Sorry. It's not that I do not yearn to follow Christ and reach eternity. It is just that I want to believe for something better.
Don pointed out two truths based on chapter 2 in Genesis. The first thought is that there will be conflict in heaven. Here is the support. Take a look at the verses below and then re-read verse 20. This was before man sinned so Adam was living in a perfect state with God, yet he was expressing discontent. Adam had a problem. He desired something more. He knew something was missing. Again, this was before the fall of man. Eden. Heaven. It was perfect, but there was conflict. Friction.
And in verse 15 Adam is doing important work. Let me suggest that when our lives contain important work and some struggle, friction, we grow and become more complete as people. I love the thought that in heaven we can continue to grow and move towards greater purpose.
But there is something even bigger for the here and now. In verse 18 God indicates he is going to make a helper for Adam. Then God has Adam name the animals. Naming animals. If Adam just sticks to species, and not sub-species, it would take two to ten years.
"Hey, Adam. I'm going to give you a helper. Now go name animals for the next several years." - God
What do you think Adam was thinking all the years? He is living in this perfect place, but something is missing. He has been promised a helper, but here he is getting up every day and naming animals. It is little wonder that Adam breaks into song (verse 23 is a song) when this beautiful, long awaited woman, is presented to Adam. There is no doubt God always honors his promises.
So here is the thing for the here and now that I mentioned. For believers already following Christ we can go through periods where we feel we are not receiving what we believe God promised. Sometimes it feels so lonely...or we feel dried up inside. We may wonder if God is still near. Does he hear us? Is he there? What about that promise? When? How soon?
Could it be we are counting the animals while we are waiting on the promise? Maybe we are not ready and we need to grow a little more. Maybe some conflict is needed to help us mature or perhaps even move us into understanding that we can not do it on our own. Perhaps the promise is so much better when we have waited and are prepared to receive it. And maybe when we learn and fully appreciate that our God, the God of Adam, always keeps his promises we can be satisfied in waiting for it to come.
Animals. I'm doing some counting. How about you?
Genesis 2: 15-23
15Then the LORD God took the
man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
16The LORD God commanded
the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
18Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the
man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable
for him."
19Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of
the field and every bird of the sky, and brought
them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a
living creature, that was its name.
20The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the
birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.
21So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and
he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
22The LORD God fashioned
into a woman the rib which He had
taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
23The man said,
" This is now bone
of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called
Woman,
Because she was taken out
of Man."