Genesis 3:6-11 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹ He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Of all the creatures made by God, only Mankind was created to be able to apprehend God most completely.

We alone were made in His image.

The angels were holy, but they were not the stuff of which the incarnate Christ would one day be.

Our eyes were meant to behold His glory more than any other – to see Him in such relief and definition as to make us want to behold nothing else in comparison. So beautiful, so august and wondrous.

Our ears to hear His voice in all of its holy majesty. Whispers of terrible wonder. At once the voice of many waters, and yet still and small.

Our lips both to taste of His sweetness and to declare its unspeakable goodness to all others in wonder and overawed splendor.

Our bodies to feel the touch of the ineffable glory.

And above all, our minds to be so utterly fascinated, delighted, and astounded as to be eternally entertained in contemplation of Him.

To search our eternal and infinite considerations and to multiply them for ever and ever until we are so thrilled and delighted and exhilarated that our whole joy and delight in found in Him in ceaseless waves of unspeakable ecstasy.

This is how we were made.

But sin.

Sin strips us of this all-consuming, all fulfilling God-consciousness  – and leaves us with self-consciousness. Knowing more about our own nakedness and that of others, than of the Wonder of the Ages.

What tragic and unspeakable loss.

What glory then the salvation in the blood of Christ which promises to restore us to that state – and that – unalterably for eternity.

Oh Heavenly Father, for the day when my whole being will be so preoccupied with the wonder of your glory that nothing else matters.

Come quickly Lord Jesus.