Romans 8:23-24 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved….
Peter, Paul and Mary’s iconic folk song recorded in the 60s was not referring to rabbits when it asked the question of where all the flowers had gone. But when I walked out my back door the other morning and saw all the blooms chopped off my impatiens, I knew exactly where the flowers had gone. Into the mouth of a hungry rabbit. I thought if I saw that bunny, I’d give Mr. McGregor a run for his money!
Spoiled beauty comes as no surprise in a fallen world. As Francis Schaeffer used to say, the world in its present state is not how God intended it to be. Flowers that escape becoming hare fare will still fade. Unpicked fruit will rot on the vine. Even giant sequoias will eventually drop.
The fall of man produced widespread corruption. Paul declares that all creation groans with anticipation of the new heaven and earth (Romans 8:22). And so does God’s highest form of creation. You and me. Whether we realize it or not, hope for a world with uncorrupted beauty resides within every human heart. It’s the way God made us.
But now we see in part. We have what scripture calls only the “firstfruits.” A slight taste of what waits for us in eternity. As Tim Keller noted, “All the beauty we have looked for in art or faces or places—and all the love we have looked for in the arms of other people—is only fully present in God himself.” One day not only will we experience complete beauty and justice and love, but will enjoy it forever.
So until then….
Thank God for all the “firstfruits” in your life right now. And fix your hope on the day when there will be no more spoiled beauty, no more unanswered questions, no more frustration over belligerent bunnies in your flower bed!
The best really is yet to come.