Sit in front of a nature documentary for five minutes and you get blown away by how violent nature is. Seems like almost everyone has a predator further up the food chain.
Some may think this is the way nature ought to be - after all, all the beast of the fields and the air need to eat to survive right?
I see things from a different perspective. Setting aside the awesome wonder and awe of creation as it now stands, I can’t help but think that all of creation is slowly decaying and declining.
Since the fall of man, the earth and everything on it, has been cursed:
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Rom 8:19-21
So think about it for a second. Next time you check out a documentary on nature, realise that despite the beauty that you see, it’s been slowly dying and decaying. Then sit back and wonder how awesome things were before the fall.
But our God will restore all things to the way they were before. And we will see just how beautiful things aught to be in God’s perfect order.
One passage of scripture that captures me in regards to this topic is:
“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Isa 11:6-9
Imagine predators and prey hanging out with each other? A pack of animals - wolves, lambs, goats, calves, lions and cows - all led by a child as he plays blissfully over a cobra snake hole!
What makes this possible? “The full knowledge of the Lord” will blanket all our minds - both human and animal alike. Does all this sound too weird to believe? I’d agree if it wasn’t for the awesome reality of Jesus.
A friend posted a video on Facebook which gave me a glimpse into what this might look like. It’s a story of a lion and a man. Hope you enjoy it…
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