Four years ago, Kimberly and I got some great news. We learned that Kimberly was pregnant and that we were soon to be parents! Upon hearing this exciting development, Kimberly and I sprung into preparation mode: there were lots of arrangements that would go into welcoming a child into our world.
One set of changes that we got to make with the baby on the way was to prepare our home for the arrival of the infant. Electrical outlets were covered, safety locks were put on the cabinets, and the baby’s room needed some TLC. (By TLC, I mean “The Learning Channel” home to such (then) current hits as “Trading Spaces.”) We would be remodeling Josh’s room before his arrival. We picked out paint and had friends help us coat the room in yellow and blue. We hung a wallpaper border on the wall, and covered our newly fabricated crib with matching sheets and bumpers. All this work was done in order to prepare the “perfect” environment for our son. We made the decisions with him in mind, and completed the redecoration before he came home from the hospital.
This past Sunday at Wildwood, we began a five part series entitled, “A Father’s Stories” where we are looking more in depth at some of the famous Bible stories we tell our children that reveal truth to us (as adults and children) about our heavenly Father. Last week we began by looking at the creation story from Genesis 1. As we looked at that story, we saw how God created the earth in a “good” way so that human life could be sustained on this planet. The climactic moment of creation was when humans were created and “brought home” to the perfect environment for them on the earth. God had prepared this earth for us like a parent prepares the nursery for their newborn child. He designed it with us in mind and “decorated” it before Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden.
Knowing this is a powerful truth for all of us to remember. God loves us and created all of this world FOR US, so that we might live here in relationship with Him. Since the earth is God’s nursery, and we are His children, we are reminded that God cares more about us than about any of the other stuff on the earth. Like a parent who would rescue their child from a burning room without bothering to save the “stuff” that was decorated on the nursery wall, so God sent His Son Jesus Christ to rescue us from the fires of our sin. Our Eternal Father prepared this place for us.
Each Tuesday, this month, following my Sunday messages, I will be writing a brief recap of the main points from the previous week’s message. By placing this here, it is my hope that people would be encouraged to continue to ponder the greatness of God’s Word during the week. I would also like to encourage all of us to ask questions we still have, or to share with others how the message impacted us, or how we are going to apply its truth in our own lives. In the “leave a comment” section below this post, please feel free to leave your questions, impressions, or applications from this past week’s message. I will check back throughout the week and we can continue a “conversation” this way. Thanks!
What an adorable baby!