All Creation Groans.
Georgia died today. It is a very sad day in our household. Georgia was a beautiful gray long haired cat with piercing green eyes. She was also a bundle of attitude wrapped up in a little 10 pound body. She came into our home two years ago when my son was transferred to Budapest Hungary. She was referred to by some as the “demon cat”. We surmise she had been abused by some of my son’s roommates in her earlier days when he was away on business, because outside of him, she didn’t like men very much. She had been known to back 200 pound men into a corner. My wife adored her and Georgia would join her for her devotions each morning, perched on a stool in front of Jan’s chair for her morning rub down.
In time, she even began to accept me. I could actually pet her without a hissy fit! About a year ago, she became very ill, one of her beautiful eyes went blind, and we thought we would lose her. But she snapped out of it, and was transformed into a wonderful, mellow kitty. Even the grand kids could pet her without fear. Whenever Jan was away, she would roam the house looking for her. She has been deteriorating for the last couple of weeks and today the inevitable day came.
I know non-pet lovers out there are thinking, so what is the big deal about a cat? Well, animals are part of man’s required stewardship of the earth. They are to be respected and cared for because they are the handiwork of our Wonderful Creator God--and not just pets. No, I’m not an “animal activist” nor am I a vegetarian. But because of the fallenness that has passed upon all creation in man’s quest for independence from the All Sustaining God, the animal kingdom has become the unwilling participant in the futility that man has brought upon all creation.(Romans 8:18-21) And so, all creation groans!! Every time I see a deer, or a raccoon, or even an opossum turned into thoughtless road kill, I nearly weep, for all creation groans! Each carcass is declaring that this isn’t the way of the Creator’s Heart!
Romans 8 says that the groaning of creation is the birth pangs of a better day. Creation groans for the redemption of the bodies of the adopted children of God, a grand new day of the “glorious liberty of the children of God”. The Apostle Peter amplifies this blessed hope. Peter speaks to that in Acts 3:19-21, “Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing (liberty) may come from the Presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, Who was preached to you before, Whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has returned to His (and through Him, our) Fathers’ Right Hand, interceding for His people until the Father gives Him the word that it is time to restore all things, to eliminate death and all of its evidences in His Creation. His death, burial, and resurrection sealed the deal, His intercession assures the deal (Hebrews 7:24-25), and His return will bring a final accomplishment of the deal!! Peter further elaborates on this in his second epistle, II Peter 3:10-13. Peter refers to this day of restoration in this text as “the day of the Lord.” And what will happen in that “Day”? The elements of this old fallen earth will be “melted with a fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." We are assuming the instantaneous removal beforehand of the earth’s inhabitants to judgment, the Justified in the Blood of Jesus to Eternal Glory, those of an evil heart of unbelief, to eternal damnation. But is that the “last call” for this earth? NO, praise the Creator God. “Therefore since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His Promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” That, my dear friends, is the restoration of all things Peter referred to back in Acts 3. That is the Hope that sustains all Creation in Romans 8. And that is my hope as I lay Georgia in her grave, her groaning birth pangs at an end. Do I expect to see Georgia in heaven? No. But I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see lots of Georgia’s and Cocoa’s, and Pepper’s, and Gray’s, and Gabby’s, and Waggles on the new earth. Animals reflect the Majesty, Humor, and Delight of Creator Jehovah, and I fully expect Him to populate the New Earth with these wonderful creatures! Righteousness will reign supreme out of the Bosom of our Righteous God, and there will be no more pet cemeteries in His renewed Creation. To our Creator God be all the Glory, Amen.
Georgia died today. It is a very sad day in our household. Georgia was a beautiful gray long haired cat with piercing green eyes. She was also a bundle of attitude wrapped up in a little 10 pound body. She came into our home two years ago when my son was transferred to Budapest Hungary. She was referred to by some as the “demon cat”. We surmise she had been abused by some of my son’s roommates in her earlier days when he was away on business, because outside of him, she didn’t like men very much. She had been known to back 200 pound men into a corner. My wife adored her and Georgia would join her for her devotions each morning, perched on a stool in front of Jan’s chair for her morning rub down.
In time, she even began to accept me. I could actually pet her without a hissy fit! About a year ago, she became very ill, one of her beautiful eyes went blind, and we thought we would lose her. But she snapped out of it, and was transformed into a wonderful, mellow kitty. Even the grand kids could pet her without fear. Whenever Jan was away, she would roam the house looking for her. She has been deteriorating for the last couple of weeks and today the inevitable day came.
I know non-pet lovers out there are thinking, so what is the big deal about a cat? Well, animals are part of man’s required stewardship of the earth. They are to be respected and cared for because they are the handiwork of our Wonderful Creator God--and not just pets. No, I’m not an “animal activist” nor am I a vegetarian. But because of the fallenness that has passed upon all creation in man’s quest for independence from the All Sustaining God, the animal kingdom has become the unwilling participant in the futility that man has brought upon all creation.(Romans 8:18-21) And so, all creation groans!! Every time I see a deer, or a raccoon, or even an opossum turned into thoughtless road kill, I nearly weep, for all creation groans! Each carcass is declaring that this isn’t the way of the Creator’s Heart!
Romans 8 says that the groaning of creation is the birth pangs of a better day. Creation groans for the redemption of the bodies of the adopted children of God, a grand new day of the “glorious liberty of the children of God”. The Apostle Peter amplifies this blessed hope. Peter speaks to that in Acts 3:19-21, “Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing (liberty) may come from the Presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, Who was preached to you before, Whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has returned to His (and through Him, our) Fathers’ Right Hand, interceding for His people until the Father gives Him the word that it is time to restore all things, to eliminate death and all of its evidences in His Creation. His death, burial, and resurrection sealed the deal, His intercession assures the deal (Hebrews 7:24-25), and His return will bring a final accomplishment of the deal!! Peter further elaborates on this in his second epistle, II Peter 3:10-13. Peter refers to this day of restoration in this text as “the day of the Lord.” And what will happen in that “Day”? The elements of this old fallen earth will be “melted with a fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." We are assuming the instantaneous removal beforehand of the earth’s inhabitants to judgment, the Justified in the Blood of Jesus to Eternal Glory, those of an evil heart of unbelief, to eternal damnation. But is that the “last call” for this earth? NO, praise the Creator God. “Therefore since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His Promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” That, my dear friends, is the restoration of all things Peter referred to back in Acts 3. That is the Hope that sustains all Creation in Romans 8. And that is my hope as I lay Georgia in her grave, her groaning birth pangs at an end. Do I expect to see Georgia in heaven? No. But I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see lots of Georgia’s and Cocoa’s, and Pepper’s, and Gray’s, and Gabby’s, and Waggles on the new earth. Animals reflect the Majesty, Humor, and Delight of Creator Jehovah, and I fully expect Him to populate the New Earth with these wonderful creatures! Righteousness will reign supreme out of the Bosom of our Righteous God, and there will be no more pet cemeteries in His renewed Creation. To our Creator God be all the Glory, Amen.