Message Minute (Made for Paradise)

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."  Genesis 1:31

Ever notice how every beautiful moment eventually ends? That perfect vacation, that delicious meal, that season when everything felt right, they all fade. But what if those longings aren't just nostalgia? What if they're pointing to something real?

God created a physical world with physical bodies and called it "very good." He planted a garden, gave humanity meaningful work, created relationships, and provided delicious food. This was paradise. Then sin entered and corrupted everything, but here's the key: sin didn't make creation bad, it made it broken. There's a massive difference.

That ache in your chest when you see beauty fading or relationships ending? That's not naive wishful thinking. Those are "echoes of Eden," memories your soul carries of what was lost and anticipation of what's coming. Ecclesiastes says God "set eternity in the human heart." You're hardwired to long for paradise because you were made for paradise.

The life you've always wanted isn't fantasy. It's prophetic. Your deepest longings for a world without endings, for joy without sorrow, for love without loss, those desires are evidence that such a world existed and is coming again.

Reflection: What moments of beauty or joy have made you think, "This is how life is supposed to be"? How might those be echoes of Eden?

Prayer: God, thank You for creating a world You called "very good." Help me see my deepest longings not as impossible dreams, but as evidence that You've wired me for paradise. Open my eyes to the echoes of Eden around me today. Amen.