Thought for the Month

“For Yahweh who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and didn’t create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited.” (Isa.45:18 WEB)

God formed the earth to be inhabited is a promise that the Creator has left for us to acknowledge now. He also said the earth abides forever. (Eccl.1:4) At this time we are seeing fires on the west coast of America. The BBC says “four million acres have gone up in flames across the west coast.” This has left major cities like Portland, Oregon and San Francisco covered by smog for days and residents living with hazardous levels of air quality. The Amazon forest has gone up in fire again this year during the dry season. Last year, according to the BBC “Brazil’s biggest city, Sao Paulo went dark because of the smoke.” Australia had fires last winter which were unprecedented. However, we have God’s promises that the earth will not be destroyed.

There are many other promises for all humankind, for all the inhabitants of the world. Like to Abraham that in his seed would all the families of the earth be blessed. (Gen.12:3) There is a wideness in God’s mercy that covers the whole of our planet and at the time of Jesus’ birth simple men and women like Anna, Elizabeth, Mary and Simeon knew it and some even looked for it.

Many events had to happen from the results of Christ’s First Advent before the Lord could return to earth to complete the work of world conversion and reconciliation that God should be all in all in due time. (1 Cor.15:28)

The angels singing at the birth of the Lord Jesus was the inspiration for the hymn, “Hark the herald angels sing.” That hymn concludes with the idea of a “second birth” and brings to mind the psalmist who wrote that everything that hath breath will praise God. (Psalm 150:6)

In the fullness of time, when the last member of the church has left this present world for their heavenly home, a highway of holiness will be made open for a time of peace and good health, where nothing shall hurt nor destroy (Isa.35:8; 11:9) and the remainder of the ransomed in the Kingdom will begin their way to mount Zion and harmony with their Creator on this planet which has been specially formed to be inhabited and be once again declared “very good.”