A Contrast

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:16-19 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:1-8

I was in pain the other day. I thought about how one day Revelation says God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Death shall be no more. There will be no more mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. Sometimes we get so heavenly minded when we look at the future we are no earthly good.  Here is a contrast. In Genesis Adam and Eve disobeyed God and God cursed the ground Created pain, and sweat. Thorns and thistles we will have with the pain and the sweat because mankind sinned and disobeyed God. I am sure the Garden of Eden was a beautiful place. Adam and Eve did not even know they were naked until they ate of the forbidden fruit. Everything changed from that point on for all of creation. But in Revelation we hear of a new heaven and a new earth that God will create. I remember my father-in-law saying one time that perhaps God would erase part of our memory when we get to heaven because of the lost loved ones we left behind. Scripture says there will be no pain, no crying, no mourning. When God originally created mankind they had a perfect creation. It was as God wanted it. They did not even know they were naked. When God speaks things into existence, they happen just as he says. When he says there will be no pain, no sorrow, etc. He speaks it into existence and it will be just as he said. What was lost in the Garden of Eden seems to return with the new heaven and new earth. What a contrast from a sinful world with pain, hurt, mourning, sorrow but to a peaceful existence with no pain, no hurt no sorrow. God the creator says it will be so. When sin came into the world, God made a way back to that beautiful existence through Jesus Christ. What if Adam and Eve had never sinned, would we have never felt hurt or pain in our lifetime. But we have to live in this present age until these things are fulfilled. We have a way to attain that beautiful life. Just like he spoke pain , sorrow , hurt into existence, he can speak it out of our lives. It is really something to think about. Every job I ever had, had some sort of thorn and thistle with it. In life here below, we encounter pain and sorrow and hurt at times. But God is preparing a place for a prepared people and eye has not seen nor has ear heard the wonderful things that will be. God's creation is not boring.  What a contrast that will be, and it can be ours with a belief in a sovereign God. I don't know how it will happen but creator God can speak and even wind and wave obey him. Hurt pain and sorrow will have to go the way they came when God speaks them out of existence. Will he just say a word some day. Be gone. He spoke the world and creation as we know it into existence. Will he just say a word on that day and sorrow and pain hurt thistles and thorns will disappear? I really don't know how it will happen. But to see this we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the pardon of our sins. It is the only way. God bless, LVZ.