Trust and Obey

"I, I am he that comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, ¹³ and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth....."

Isaiah 51:12-13

From the very beginning God only wanted what was best for his creation. Adam and Eve walked in the Garden and discoursed with God. Being made in His image they were give the power of choice. Without choice we are no different from any other of God's created beings in the animal kingdom. What sets mankind apart from all other created beings is that God created us "in His image". The power to love by definition includes the power of choice. Love has to be a free a gift or it is not love.

In the midst of this ideal creation enters the Tempter who was supposed to be a Guardian. In his rebellion he tempts Adam and Eve to look upon the "knowledge of Good and Evil" so that they can be like God. That desire is the basis of all sin. I will choose what I want because it pleases me is the way every human being enters the world as a child. We can't get away from it. It is always there lurking in each of us in the form of self justification. It is the "wolf" within each of us. Just when one thinks he or she can control it, it breaks forth and causes devastation to relationships. God gave us law that was to be like a school teacher. Law can create boundaries to help us avoid destruction; but, in the end law can never save us from ourselves. We each fall short and miss the mark.

Forgiveness is the oil that allows healing and restoration of relationships. When we live by the law of an "eye for eye" and a "tooth for a tooth" we end up in a society of blind and toothless people. Love allows for the possibility of choice. Only love can let one "turn the other cheek". It is a choice that is empowered by God who places within each of us the desire to know Him. We live in a cosmos of pain and suffering. We were made for eternity and community. So how do we get there?

It begins with a single relationship. First we have to trust that the Creator who made us and who desires a relationship with His created. So how does one find that relationship. Second, it begins with doing what He tells us to do. The result is that even in the midst of the most intense pain and suffering it creates "comfort". It is a peace that passes all understanding. That relationship is blocked by fear. What is the worst fear that one can have? One might be tempted to think that death is the greatest fear? However, I believe that what is even worse than death is life without purpose or meaning. We "forget" that the one who made us desires for us to be His children. The good news is that God has not forgotten us. His invitation to return is there for those who wish to turn away and to seek His face. Sharing that message is what it is all about. In the end we will be asked if we "trusted" and "obeyed"?