The Bible begins with God exalting over and over again, “It is good!”
- Genesis 1, verse 4, “God saw that the light was good.”
- Verse 10, “God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”
- Verse 12, “The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
- Verses 17-18, “God set the sun and the moon in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.”
- Verse 25, “God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
- Verse 31, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
God created this world and it is very good.
But turn the page, Genesis 2. One thing wasn’t good. Verse 18, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone.’ We were not created to be creatures in isolation, but in community. We are social creatures. And so God created male and female, and families and neighborhoods and communities and cities. Places where people gather and interact. In fact, Jesus said we have only two overarching commands, Love God, and Love your neighbor. Love one another. That’s how we are to live in God’s good world.
Now turn the page again, Genesis 3. Sin, and along with it, disease and destruction, enter God’s good world. It battles against God’s design. Today, the disease is COVID19 and one of the results is called “social distancing.” Staying away from each other. The opposite of God’s design. That’s how sin and disease and evil work. They mess with “It is very good.”
Don’t get me wrong, social distancing is the right idea when other people might have a disease that can harm or kill. We don’t want to become infected or infect others, so we listen to the wisdom of doctors and leaders and do what they say.
But it is not good that man and woman should be alone. So, thank goodness for the telephone and the internet. And even for old fashioned letter writing. We can still interact and encourage each other. Community doesn’t have to be face to face. Not always. I can’t wait until it is again, but Luv’n Liv’n and people like Laurie DeSeguirant have built a community that can gather online, on Facebook and on the live Website. This is a great time to fight against the enemy, the disease, and bring God’s good back into this world. Open up the website or Facebook and join Laurie in a workout. Read what he and others have to say. Write something in the comments. Encourage each other online.
Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
not neglecting to meet (online) together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another,
and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
~Hebrews 10:24-25
May God bless you and protect you and keep you and lift you up,
Dave
