November 7, 2014

In Genesis 6, the Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” (Gen. 6: 5-7)

But, Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord (vs. 8).

From the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, through the envy in the heart of Cain, to a generation filled with wickedness and evil, we see the downward spiral  of humankind. The Lord regretted that he made human beings, for they were disregarding His original intention for them. God’s grief had grown so deep he was preparing for mass annihilation of the human race he had created…but Noah…but (key word in the Scriptures!) Noah (great man of God)!

Noah: was a man who had found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Why? Because he was a righteous man, blameless among the evil people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God (vs. 9).

Imagine those words on your tombstone: Righteous. Blameless. Faithful. Favored.

When God speaks in this pericope he is both filled with anguish about the sinfulness of mankind, and yet delighted with righteousness in the heart of one faithful man.  And Noah was that one faithful man.

Consider those words for yourself. Righteous. Blameless. Faithful. Favored. Are these words that you hope are descriptive of your life? If so, then lean into and pray about how these words can become descriptions of your heart and life even today. What will you embrace, release or pray toward as you contemplate these God-fearing attributes?