Devotion / Border Crisis!
How are you feeling about election season? One of the hot-button issues is the Border Crisis. Build the wall? Tear down the wall? It's a hot debate.
It doesn't take long in reading the Bible to come across the first great border crisis. It was in Eden. After Adam and Eve sinned, Genesis 3:23-24 reveals, So the Lord God banished him [Adam] from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
The walls of history
Through the fall into sin, humankind lost the right to be in "God's country." The Creator set borders around his kingdom with watchmen that never fail. Since that time, our world has been subject to border crises without number. Walls have been built and torn down time after time. Bible examples include:
the high city walls in the Promised Land that discouraged God's people from possessing the land.
Joshua and the walls of Jericho that came tumbling down.
the Israelites breaking down the walls of the Philistine stronghold cities.
the Babylonians breaching the walls of Jerusalem.
Ezra and Nehemiah's work to restore Jerusalem's walls.
Jesus' prediction of the devastating fall of Jerusalem.
Paul's "over the wall" escape from Damascus.
Revelation's description of the precious stone walls of the heavenly Jerusalem.
Examples from world history are too many to number. Hadrian's Wall, the Great Wall of China, and the Great Wall of India are attempts by countries to secure their borders. In the end, all have fallen into ruin.
The walls of sin
The power of sin is overwhelming. What seems an impenetrable stronghold can all too easily be breached or ruined by armed conflict, natural disaster, or treachery.
Still, the greatest of all border crises goes back to the Garden of Eden. The heavenly guard the Creator set has never seen that border breached. How hopeless to contemplate finding a way back into God's country!
Jesus the wall breaker
Fortunately for us, God sent his Son Jesus to bring us back across the border to our home country. The Lord's rescue mission opened the doors of his Kingdom for us once more! Praise him for his mercy and love.
Border crises? Yes, whether it's the U.S., China, Israel, Mexico, India, or another nation, there will be problems keeping the borders safe. But thank the Lord that the gates of heaven are once again open to those who believe in the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.
By Dave Payne