by Duane Cook

You’ve got your “To Do” list. You’ve got your grocery list. You’ve got your laundry list. If you are a married man, you’ve got your “Honey Do” list. If you are an Eastman student you even have your Franz Liszt. (Sorry, couldn’t resist).

Lists are everywhere. We are told “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) …but this seems to be stretching it a bit. What can we learn from this list of names?

God is a God of order. Even though judgment had taken the nation of Israel to Babylon, a remnant returns to rebuild. God in His mercy remembers their prior state of prosperity. He returns to them their former cities, and returns their spiritual leaders to nurture them. In effect, he has pressed the reset button and restored order. He hasn’t returned all that has been lost, but he returns them to a state where they can restart and rebuild. The lessons they had learned cost them mightily. But a loving God has not forgotten or forsaken them. He has made provision for them to pick up the pieces and move on.

Turning from God has a cost. But even on the road we have created for ourselves, He is with us. He doesn’t turn away from us and always provides the way back. We are never left without hope.

A fellow traveler,
Duane