GARDEN DELICACIES
We humans were formed in the image of God. Our spirit, which distinguishes us from the rest of creation, connects us with His Spirit to make us complete.
As with all else, we were created for God’s glory, but only humans have a will and can chose to glorify Him.
We were designed for the Garden, and for the life it produced through intimacy with God. All of that is natural to undefiled humanity and we are not fully human without it. Can you feel a longing inside of you for all that is good, just, pure and true? Quiet yourself and listen.
PIG SLOP
However, when Adam sold us into sin, we were separated from Creator God. We inherited from him a default setting that obligates us to try to satisfy this longing through indulging in Satan’s menu. We became slaves to sin, and bound by the guilt, shame, worry, fear, insecurity, futility and sorrows it produces.
Think of sin as “missing the mark.” Picture yourself shooting a million arrows at a target but missing every time. That’s what happens when we keep aiming for human wholeness in any way except through intimacy with God.
There’s not enough money, possessions, power, beauty or fame in the world, to carry our arrows to the target of human wholeness. God made it so but we often keep reloading and trying again. “Just one more bank CD” or “One more trip to the buffet.”
GOURMET
Man’s deep inner desire to be free of this futility was only wishful thinking, so the Father sent a Savior to liberate us.
As Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Luke 4:18
We’ll talk about spiritual gourmet next time! It really is something better!
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, OH USA
March 26, 2021
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