Paradise

God created us for paradise.  Think about that for a minute.  What pictures come to mind when you think of paradise?  If you’ve done a lot of traveling (or if you’re blessed to live in such a place), it may be of a tropical rainforest, snow-capped mountain peaks, an African desert sunset, a secluded beach, or a private island.  If you don’t fall in that category, perhaps it’s the park down the street, or the art museum, or it’s when you finally get the kids off to school or in bed and you can just breathe for a minute, or maybe it’s just a picture you’ve seen (or the screensaver on your computer).  Whatever it is, it is merely a reflection of the enjoyment and prosperity and beauty that God intended for us.  And just to walk with Him in paradise, to “be fruitful and increase in number” (Genesis 1:28), to enjoy His creation – that’s how we were supposed to live!

Jesus said that He came to give us life, and life more abundantly (John 10:10).  Yet from the fall of man, Satan has tried to convince us that God is holding out on us – that there is more that God is not giving us, and by listening to him, how quickly we’ve turned from “walking with God” to fighting amongst ourselves, from “being fruitful” to striving and trying so hard to make a better life for ourselves, from “increasing in number” to pornography addictions and broken families, from “enjoying life” to waiting for it to be over.  And now we’re left wanting, waiting, and longing for something more.

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