Our hopeless band-aids


And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Genesis 3:21 ESV
                There is a line from a Petra song (Perfect world off the Jekyll & Hyde album) which has played through my head the past few days, “This is my Father’s world and He can fix it. Our hopeless band-aids are all counterfeit.” Mankind has always tried to solve the problems it creates. It goes all the way back to the fall in Genesis 3.  No sooner have our first parents realized the disastrous results of their sinful action than they try to do something about it. Their solution was garments of fig leaves. These proved immediately insufficient.
                Adam and Eve did not understand the fullness of what had happened, and could not find the answer they needed. The fig leaves could not cover their same, or protect them in a now hostile environment. They could not see the whole truth. God could. He had a perfect answer to the ultimate problem which plagued humanity, and He had a solution to the immediate situation as well. The first blood was spilled by God Himself to cover the shame of His image bearers and to protect them in the fallen world. What Adam and Eve could not do for themselves, God did.  In this there is a great lesson which looks forward to Christ’s redemptive work.
                Sadly it is a lesson humanity seems unwilling to learn. A few chapters later after God has wiped the slate clean; once again man decides to try and address their issues on their own. This time they decide to build a tower. The tower doesn’t work any better than the fig leaves. God kept teaching the same lesson over and over again. He is still teaching the lesson today.
                We cannot fix this world. We cannot solve our problems on our own. Because we cannot atone for our sin which is the root of every problem we face. Our wills are futile and subject to the Lord’s will as it is written in James 4:13-15. There is much of foolish pride in saying we can save this, or prevent that in our own power. History will surely uphold this point. Still we persist with our hopeless band-aids. Again Petra has it right, “They like humanity to come up with the answers. So they can keep their heads safely buried in the sand. “
                 
Prayer
                Father you alone are holy, and apart from You we are hopeless. Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, and especially from pride. You are our only hope, Christ the only solution. Thank you for patiently teaching us this lesson. To You be all glory, and honor, and dominion forever. Amen.
Song
This is my Father’s world

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