Nothing New Under the Sun

Solomon was right when he said:

What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
"See, this is new"?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
~Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

So often when speaking with non-theists they point their fingers at God and blame Him for evil or their own lack of belief, or this or that problem ... but this is nothing new. In Genesis we have the first account of God confronting a sinner. Adam's words are telling.

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." ~Genesis 1:8-12

So often this account has been used to place the blame on women for sinfulness ... but this is a misuse of the text. After all, both Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden, so clearly God didn't just blame the woman! But look at what happened. First, after sinning these individuals hid from God. They didn't want to be found by Him! Despite their attempts at hiding, God confronts them anyway, and when God goes to Adam for an answer, Adam deflects blame-not to the woman as is often assumed-to God Himself! If Adam were blaming the woman he would have said, "The woman gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." But instead, he adds this little relative clause, "whom YOU gave to be with me" [emphasis added].

Adam is telling God that it's His fault that Adam sinned, for if God never gave him that woman then he would not have eaten. How funny that still today, the sinner when confronted with their sin deflect blame back to God saying that it's His fault. There truly is nothing new under the sun.

Busy!

Man oh man ... it's a busy time of year. Christmas is approaching, snow is falling (and in need of being removed from walk and driveways), and the world keeps on spinning. No matter how many activities and responsibilities we cram into our already over-loaded schedules, the world keeps moving forward ... and it will keep right on moving forward with or without us!

It's important always, but especially when we are at our busiest, to take time and just reflect on the goodness of our Creator. The hectic pace of our lives are not His design, but the world's. The stress and anxiety and commercialism of this season are not His design either, but we tend to buy in anyway.

Take time to rest today, in the peace of your Creator. He made you and desires you to know Him. Do you?

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

We have a tendency to separate ourselves from God, but that's not His will for our lives. He has provided all the work of reconciliation--of making it possible for us to enjoy fellowship and relationship with Him, despite our best efforts at separation--in the crucifixion of Jesus. Our fine has been paid and we are fully reconciled to Him. Hallelujah.

If you do know Him, how important is the work He has called you to? How does being "an ambassador for Christ" rank among other priorities like family, work, school, shopping, etc.?

If I'm being honest, I know that sometimes my priorities get all mixed up. I'm thankful that God is patient with us, and that He allows us opportunities to recognize our mistakes and provides the grace we need to remedy our mistakes. Will we take the time to rest and re-evaluate our priorities ... and more importantly, will we make the effort to change in the areas we need to?

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. ~ Philippians 4:13

May God richly bless you, this day and always.

Today's Meditation

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.~ Luke 6:26-33

Lord, help me to obey you. Form me into the person you intend me to be. Give me the strength to live in obedience to your commands. What you have told me to do is so contrary to what my flesh desires to do ... I can only hope to obey through Your life in me. Renew your Spirit in me. For your glory, Lord. Glorify your name in my life. Amen.