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This Is the Way... A World for Cameronby Robin WebberMy wife and I were introduced this past week to someone very special. Her name is Cameron Olivia Long. You've probably never met or heard of her, because, well, she is only four days old at the time of this writing. So, no, you haven't flunked any current events quiz. The latest addition But she did make some headlines in our household. She's the latest addition to our expanding family, joining three other special granddaughters. It was an event long to be treasured. I'm sure many of you have had such moments. The birth of a baby is always a precious moment. It's a miracle like none other! It can even make the atheist blush and reconsider. Here, locked into this tiny bundle of precious flesh, is the proof that mankind is truly not alone. Something is happening down here! Anyone who has ever held a little baby's hand and pondered its complexity right down to the fine detail of his or her petite fingernails recognizes that we are not witnessing the ongoing trek of evolution, but rather, the grand design and personal touch of a masterful Creator. But where are we all headed? Many of us who are professing Christians have little doubt about how the world started. We faithfully look upon God as being the "first cause" of all that we see around us. We actively acknowledge that "children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward" (Psalm 127:3). We do not believe they are simply the end result of a freak accident of long ago when light, heat and a chemical soup began the cycle of all things living. But the big question that gnaws at our hearts is not where we came from, but where are we all headed? As parents and grandparents, we wonder with great concern what kind of a world our children and grandchildren will inherit. What kind of a life will they experience? I place my finger into the air and feel the touch of the currents of this age. Something is blowing in the wind, and it isn't good. Just think for a moment about the world that Cameron and all the other newborns of the world are destined to inherit: a world of terrorism, a world of Iraqs and Irans , a world in which "family" is defined by people who have never even experienced what a family truly ought to be. It's a world that has completely abandoned any thought of the Judeo-Christian ethic regarding modesty and propriety in how people present themselves in public, a world in which sex seems to be the only word in the dictionary, because that's all people think about and talk about anymore. A world that increasingly paves its soil over with concrete, which stills the waving of the winter wheat and deadens the song of the bird. Is this the only world in Cameron's future? If so, the "meek" of Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount should think twice about inheriting this world. But this is only looking at things as they are based on our human premises, rather than the divine promises of a God who not only made us, but also truly cares about our future. God is not simply a "first cause" in our lives or the life of little Cameron, who simply wanders off and becomes an absentee Heavenly Father who doesn't care about children made in His image. Living with a dime Sometimes through all the haze of today's news, it's humanly challenging to believe that God really has a different world in store for Cameron. I've had to think about it for a few days. But He does, and He is preparing one for your Billy, Megan, José , Brittany and Jacob, too! I'm often reminded of the story of Sally and Autumn who were making big plans about how to spend all their money. Sally told Autumn, "Look, I have a dime." Autumn came back, as she opened her hand to show her treasure, with, "Well, see I have 10 cents, too!" Sally replied as she saw a nickel in Autumn's hand, "You don't have a dime like me, but only a nickel." Autumn immediately replied, "My daddy told me before he went to work today that when He came back tonight, he would give me another nickel, so I do, too, have 10 cents!" The moral of the story is simply this—Autumn believed her dad's promise and lived as if all 10 cents were already in her hand. It's not that she was telling a falsehood. That's how she saw her life, not in the moment, but with the promises of her father making all the difference in her world. Her world appeared to be worth only a nickel, but Autumn lived the life that came with a dime in her heart. As parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, we, too, need to get to know Autumn a little bit more. She's good company! She can be good for us when we get stuck in those "nickel moments" and get fixated on the headlines of today rather than the ever-present promises of God regarding a new and different world. Long before Autumn drew breath, the apostle Paul lifted up the eyes of those around him by lovingly, but firmly saying, "Therefore we do not lose heart... while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). The things that are not seen, yet... Oh yes, there it is, a better world for Cameron! A world that is founded on the reality that man is created in the image of God. God describes this "full 10 cents" as a world in which "He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4). He further describes it as a world of abundance as He grabs our attention in Amos 9:13-15 by stating, "'Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine. And all the hills shall flow with it... And no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them.'" God goes on to describe a safe world for children as He provides colorful detail in Zechariah 8:3-5: "Thus says the LORD: 'I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem . Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.' Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem , each one with his staff in his hand, because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.'" God plainly depicts the world He is preparing for Cameron as a world in which "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, no more sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write for these words are true and faithful'" (Revelation 21:4-5). The fullness of that new age of the Kingdom of God under Jesus Christ has not yet emerged. Wishing this society away isn't going to make it happen. Praying "Your Kingdom come" is a step in the right direction. A love note But this is more than another column with a pending deadline. It's a love note to our granddaughter, Cameron, and I'd better throw in the other three girls, Meghan, Kailyn and Annabelle too. It's a love note to God to say "thank you" for all those wonderful promises of future realities for all of our children and for our children's children. And thank you for planting my eyes and heart in Your Word rather than in a newspaper. God is preparing a world for Cameron, and that makes me smile. As we hold our child tonight in our arms or rock a little one to sleep in the still of the night, let's also be sure we are holding on to one more thing as we do. You know—the nickel that's really a dime. It's the way to be in a world that has lost its way. It's Autumn's way and Paul's way. It's a way that captures the essence of Isaiah 30:21 that describes a voice telling us, "This is the way, walk in it." It's the way of Autumn who kindly, but firmly, declares to Sally as she shows the nickel in her hand: "My daddy told me before he went to work today that when he came back tonight, he would give me another nickel, so I do, too, have 10 cents!" WNP |
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Other Articles by Robin Webber
Origin of article "A World for Cameron"
Keywords: birth miracle of birth future world
Prophecy, millennial:
