I'm on my soapbox.

In the beginning when God created the world, it was good. He looked around and saw that there was no evil, no pain, no suffering. The lion played with the lamb. Even nature in was in its most holy and pure form. Since the fall of man at Adam and Eve, nature and God's creation of man has been groaning for redemption. That is why Jesus, who was completely God and also completely man, came to earth to die for the unredeemed creation. So that one day when he returns, he will redeem man and nature; returning them to their original place of holiness and purity. Until the day when Jesus comes back, this fallen earth will continue to go in its trajectory of sin and deprivation. It is working backwards from what God's original plan was. But luckily, our eternal redemption has been secured as Christians through Jesus' death. By recognizing that He is the solar around which our souls must orbit, that He is the only way to eternal life, we are redeemed and our slates are wiped clean. Our "record" has been expunged. Through the suffering in this world, we see the effects of sin and as Christians, suffering does not stay away from us - it effects us the way it does anyone else.


However, we have hope in this terrible world. Jesus said, "take heart, for I have overcome the world." With this hope, we are to be lights in a dark world. In Isaiah it says, "And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them." He doesn't forsake us amidst our suffering. Our suffering is what brings us to Him. He NEVER forsakes us. It is hard to understand though - if this all powerful God can make your rough places into level ground, why doesn't He just make the world redeemed again? To bring glory to Himself. He wants people to chose to love Him. He is a jealous God - rightly so - and demands your all. Even though we are saved, He does demand that we honor Him and love Him before anything else in this world. There is a standard that we are called to...even though we will fail, we still have to try. Just because we know He loves us does not mean that we can take advantage of that love and coast on a road of apathy. He does expect from us, but the beauty of it is that when you give your life to God, you want to love Him and out of that love comes an outpouring of obedience. However, loving Him is a discipline. It requires the study of Him through the Bible, prayer, and community. There is a God - who has pursued you, me, and everyone on this planet as He knit you in the mother's womb. He beauty and love can be found in the pure things in life without the distortion of an evil world. A sunset, a song, a friendship, a good steak, laughter between friends, sex between a husband and wife. The list goes on. God is present and pursuing - but just as He created man to be the pursuer and women to be the pursued, He wants to be pursued as well. He wants us to ask, seek, and knock. He is more than willing to answer, be found, and answer the door.