When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7)

Now, this verse is the Lord speaking to Job. At the conclusion of his tribulation, God chided him, saying:

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” (Job 38:4)

A single word from Jesus turned dear Mary from a weeper to a worshipper. Of course, it was a spirit-filled word as are all the words from Christ. In an instant, she was no longer feeling alone or forsaken. Her Maker, her Love, her Redeemer was clearly alive.

Even in the beginning, there was a distinction between life and eternal life (which was available via the tree of life – see Gen 3:22) and it was always a choice. There was/is more to life than just living.

So, what is the person who thirsts spiritually looking for? What do they sense that they lack? Purpose, love, life, consolation, understanding, truth, wisdom,… many possibilities. I’ll suggest that anytime a person senses that they are missing, lacking something inside, not money or power or any fleshly thing; but rather, they are missing something in the heart, they are thirsty.

The first eviction. The language indicates that it was forceful. And the follow up made it clear that there was no coming back to Eden and especially to the tree of life for God placed at least two powerful angels and an impassable flaming sword to guard the way.

But it is key to understand that this working and gaining is NOT by human effort. It is entirely God’s Spirit at work in us and through us:

Politicians revel in it, celebrities revel in it, preachers revel in it, everyone except one – the child. No, not teens, but little children. And it’s absolutely critical to ‘get it’, to understand why.

Even as God Almighty gave life to Jesus and raised Him from the grave, so also, He has birthed us with Him to literally an eternal expectation of coming good (that’s the living hope). That means that in Jesus, we will never stop expecting or anticipating more and more goodness. Eternity is filled with God’s goodness.

Yes, Peter nailed it with his Son of the living God answer and may have felt pretty puffed up by the response Jesus gave him.

A friend of mine once asked me what my favorite word was in the Bible. I knew immediately; I said, “Hope”. He then asked me to describe this hope, and I had to think. I told him, “It’s not the wimpy word that we hear thrown around like, “I hope so.” Or “There’s really not much hope.” Or “Hope you can make it.”

The hope I think of is an atomic bomb compared to these little firecrackers.