Daily Reading: Romans 8:18–25
We ourselves . . . groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:23)
At twelve he quit school to plow fields with a mule.
He had no choice. His father died of cancer and his mom and siblings needed care. With an uncle’s assistance, my grandfather kept the farm going. He didn’t know what it was to use a tractor, so long after his farming tenure ended, he still sang, “Oh, the old gray mare, she ain’t what she used to be.”
According to the apostle, the old gray mare isn’t the only thing that’s changed. The world and our bodies have too. No one knows how long the world or Adam and Eve existed before sin’s entrance, but things deteriorated drastically when they decided to disobey God.
God’s perfect world was tainted and now longs to be what it was previously and will be finally. Nothing endures. What we don’t dispose of is destroyed by rust, the elements, insects, or other humans. Natural disasters are common. Our bodies fare no better. In spite of our best efforts to prevent it, they reflect results of the aging process and are often afflicted by disease. Eventually, death overtakes them.
But there’s good news. God will redeem the world and our bodies. We have the responsibility of caring for both because God created both. Caring for His world and our bodies honors Him and reminds us who we are accountable to.
Develop habits that enhance health and the environment.
Martin Wiles loves using his writing to help others move further in their journey toward spiritual maturity.
