Choosing to be a Noah
Sometimes I think I spend too many blogs talking about adversity and pain. (I’m open to feedback… comment away!) But one perspective might be that when we’re struggling, that’s when we need a word of encouragement the most. My prayer is that this blog is always an encouragement to you.
In my priority time yesterday, I came across a familiar passage that was both mind blowing and strangely encouraging, so I wanted to share it with you. This is straight out of Genesis 6:5-8.
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
If you really pull this apart, it’s pretty shocking. God’s Word says of man that “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil,” and then to make it worse, the author specifies “continually.” If that’s not bad enough, did you catch the three insights we’re given into God’s view of this?
“the Lord regretted that he had made man”
“it grieved him to his heart”
“I am sorry that I have made them”
The truth is that people don’t just let you down; they let God down. Let’s also not forget to apply this in the first person. I don’t just let people down; I let God down. Can you imagine how angry and sad God had to be to destroy the very thing He created? It’s crazy to think how God’s plan would’ve unfolded without that last sentence in the above passage (verse 8).
Let's accept the fact that this is a fallen world and stop being shocked that bad things happen. It was fallen before we got here and will be until Christ returns. Yet as believers, we can’t miss two things…
1. We can choose to be a Noah.
Even when everyone around us is choosing the world’s way, we always have the opportunity to please the Lord. Isn’t it interesting that God gives us examples of people like Noah and Moses who chose to live in such a way that countless people benefit from their faithfulness? When life is dark and we’re frustrated, we can either get discouraged and withdraw… or we can choose to “find favor in the eyes of the Lord.”
2. Despite all the pain people caused God, He still made a way for us.
God made a covenant with Noah after the flood that wasn’t dependent on man’s behavior. Our Heavenly Father loves us enough to make a way for us to not be destroyed. Rather, through the death of His perfect Son, we have the opportunity to be in relationship with Him.
Yes, we’ll get disappointed and hurt in this life, but we still have an opportunity to be a woman or man after God’s own heart. We can choose to be faithful each day. We can choose to bring hope to those around us.
Keep your eyes on Him. He’ll lead you through. And if you choose to be a Noah, you might even change the world.