Romans 8:21 The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
Reflection Several years ago, I got into a phase of buying things that are “all natural.” I first bought TheraBreath, a natural mouth wash. It gave me a nasty taste in my mouth for days. Come to find out, that is a natural side effect some people have. Then I tried Tom’s (of Maine) deodorant. It smelled good… all natural with no aluminum. True story… I applied the deodorant and within 10 minutes my underarm started to feel warm. Hmmmmm? Then hot! Then intolerable! I took off my shirt and noticed that my underarms were welted due to an overwhelming and painful allergic reaction! Tom needs to stop making deodorant post haste before he gets sued for negligence! I threw away my Tom’s deodorant immediately, along with my mouthwash. I have come to learn that “natural” does not mean better. It certainly does not mean “good.” There are plenty of natural things that are bad for you and can harm you. When Adam fell and sinned against God, the perfect creation fell into disrepair… thorns came to be, and disease and destruction entered the world. “Natural” is by no means perfect. We live in a fallen world and look to God to deliver us from this natural world. It is cursed and imperfect. But Christ is our escape, and our hope is in Him alone. I look to him alone for all that is good… and one day he will take me away from this fallen world and I will live in a better place, a perfect place. In the meantime, I place no confidence or faith in this guy named Tom!
Prayer Oh Lord, we look to you to deliver us from this present and dark age. We look forward to the place you prepare for us, and we await your return. Even so, come Lord Jesus!
