Broken

"The woman was convinced.

She saw that the tree was beautiful

and its fruit looked delicious,

and she wanted the wisdom it would give her.

So she took some of the fruit and ate it.

Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her,

and he ate it, too.

At that moment their eyes were opened,

and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness.

So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

When the cool evening breezes were blowing,

the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking

in the garden.

So they hid from the LORD God among the trees."

Genesis 3:6-8

Everything was as it was made to exist:  Fruit grew uninhibited, free from the destructive elements of drought, disease and pests.  Man knew no enemy as all of creation lived in harmony with one another.  The image bearers tasted the sweetness of a perfect relationship with their Creator.  Then came sin, marring God's pristine masterpiece and ruining the connection between man and his Maker.

Shame became a new sensation as sin entered the equation.  Where Adam and Eve once enjoyed openness with the Lord, now they felt compelled to hide from His holiness.  Even though they were made for relationship, that bond had been broken.  Would things ever be the same?

Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ our Lord who restores us into right relationship with the One who created us for Himself!

Blood

It is a sign of life.  Whenever it spills, there is the fear that the victim's very life is draining from their body.  People donate it in an effort to help save these lives.  Since it is present at childbirth, it can also remind me of new life.  Without blood flowing through my veins, there is no doubt that my life is over.

Blood is necessary for life in this temporal body, but it is also an important role in my reconciliation to God.  Back in the time of Moses, God instructed His people to use blood to purify.  The law was sprinkled with blood when it was first presented to the nation of Israel, the Tabernacle and everything in it also received this treatment as did anyone who suffered from skin disease or even a home that had been contaminated by mildew.  (Hebrews 9:19-21, Leviticus 14)  Even more importantly, blood was used to signify cleansing from sin through continual animal sacrifices. (Leviticus 4)

All of this bloody ritual was necessary because without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.  (Leviticus 9:22)  The crimson liquid symbolizing life is the only substance God ordained for cleansing.  Therefore, the only way I can approach God as one who has fallen short of His impossibly high standard of perfection is through the covering of the blood of Jesus.  Nothing else can make me appear before a holy God as pure and righteous. (Romans 3:22, 1 John 1:7)

I am guilty of violating God's law, breaking the covenant He made between Himself and His people.  Thankfully, I am freely restored through the blood of Jesus.

Regeneration

If a salamander gets into a fight with an enemy, it can surrender it's tail as a defense mechanism.  Then, in a few week's time, a new tail will grow.

While this ability could be handy for humans, especially those who work around dangerous equipment like saws or farm machinery, it is not how God created the human body to function.  There is a type of regeneration that takes place, however, in those who accept the forgiveness that is offered in Christ.  This transformation occurs over time and is evident in how I relate to sin.  (2 Corinthians 5:14-17)  

At one time sin was as comfortable as an old pair of jeans.  As I grow closer to God through faith in Jesus Christ, however, that old life becomes less and less appealing.  The new life I've been offered where I live for Christ instead of myself fulfills me in a way I've never experienced.  It is how I was meant to live.

Now I am compelled to love those who hurt me, to obey His still small voice that leads me into the dark unknown, and to welcome the dredges of society as my closest friends.  The blood of Jesus not only cleanses me from sin, but it ushers me into a new way of living!

While sin has estranged me from God, the reconciliation that comes through Jesus also makes a way for me to enjoy a whole new way of living.

Restoration

When I moved into a new house with my family, we had kept our old dining room table even though the finish was peeling and flaking.  Once we got settled, I went to work on restoring this ugly piece of furniture.  While the project seemed daunting, the finished product was spectacular as the beauty of the wood was now evident for all to see.  Where once I had insisted on using a table cloth to cover up the horrible appearance, now I enjoyed the way the finish looked.  I felt like we had a new edition to our dining room!

In the same way that some sandpaper, stain and polyurethane can make an old piece of furniture look like new, so the blood of Jesus restores my place in the family of God.  Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, I can boldly approach the throne of a holy God. (Hebrews 4:16)  

The relationship I was meant to enjoy with my Creator, and which Adam and Eve did experience for a time, is restored to me.  Instead of hiding in shame because of my sin, I can relate to God as a daughter interacts with a loving father.  His love is not inhibited, but flows freely to me, His beloved child.  (1 John 3:1)

Sin destroyed the relationship with God for which I was created, but the sacrifice of Jesus made it's restoration possible.

God made me for relationship with Him!  My sin nature, however, comes between me and my holy Father.  The only way to bridge that gap is through faith in Jesus Christ.  It is His blood who covers my sin, making the transformation process possible and restoration into the family of God a reality.  In short, Jesus has mended what Adam broke so long ago, and I can enjoy the beauty of His free gift both now and for all of eternity!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can hold my relationship with the Lord as most valuable.

When do I forget the reason for which God created me?

How do I get caught up in living for myself instead of for the One who completes me?