Sometime
after Adam and Eve committed their world-changing act of disobedience in Garden
of Eden, I can imagine Adam walking with his young sons Cain and Abel. They happen to pass by the ruins of the
Garden of Eden. One of the boys asked their father, “What’s that?”
Adam
replied, “Boys, that’s where your mother ate us out of house and home.”
A
lot happens in Scripture following the time Adam and Eve took that bite of
fruit that gave mankind perpetual indigestion.
As a result, they attempted the first cover up. But since their leaf loincloths were not very
practical, God sacrificed an animal to clothe them. The pair was banished from the Garden and
began life anew as exiles away from their homeland.
It
wasn’t the only time God’s people lived as exiles. They spent a few summers in Egypt Judah
The
first group deported included the young, elite men who would be trained as
leaders. In that group were Daniel and
his friends Hananiah, Shadrach, and Azariah.
They were given the Babylonian names of Belteshazzar, Shadrach,
Meschach, and Abednego. (If you decide
to give your child a Babylonian name, you might try “Intobedwego.”)
While
in exile these young men lived powerful, purposeful, prayer-filled lives. They remained on a diet that helped them find
more energy than other workers. They
prayed to their God when they were told not to.
They were bold to do what was right regardless of the obstacles placed
in their path. And they made a
difference.
It
may be difficult to put yourself in their shoes, but according to 1 Peter
2:11-12 those who follow God today are exiles too. Peter writes: “Dear
friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires,
which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the Gentiles that,
though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify
God on the day he visits us.”
You
may have days when you just don’t seem to “fit” in this world and that’s a good
thing. It’s simply because as a child of God you don’t. You were made to live with him. Until we are home in heaven, you and I are
exiles. Until then, we have things to
do. We can add some good to this life so
that others can get a glimpse of God. We
can make a difference.
According
to Peter there will be a day God will “visit” us. That’s when the exile will end. And that’s when you and I will “fit.”
