That was then...this is now

Genesis 6:7-8 (NIV)
   So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them."
  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 

"The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." (Genesis 6:6) It is difficult to imagine how bad things must have been to bring God to the point of regretting His creation of man. "...for I am grieved that I have made them."  (Genesis 6:7b)

If ever there was a testimony to the wisdom of not doing something because everyone else does, this story is it.  God was disappointed with His people.

This begins the account of Noah, the one good thing God saw. "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:8) God saved Noah and his family; he did not allow them to become collateral damage once He decided to put an end to all the people.

In fact, while Noah and his family were obeying God and building that Ark, their future home, God still provided ample time for His people to change. Instead of ridiculing Noah, had they helped him on this project, and listened to Noah tell of his God, surely more could have been saved. But it didn't happen that way, and everyone outside Noah's family was destroyed.

Doesn't this make you wonder about the times we live in now? Wickedness and evil are at every turn. Christians are ridiculed and persecuted for their beliefs. The religious freedom once enjoyed by all is disappearing. Family values are put into question, even the definition of 'family' is changing.

We need to remember that God is good...all the time.  He wants us to embrace our faith and turn to Him...all the time.

Genesis 6:1-13

Jeremiah 31: 31-34

Saved By God’s Grace

They say, “Nothing in life is free.” It is not clear just who “they” are, but they certainly are not in tune with our God. Grace is FREE, and all we have to do is accept it. There are no strings attached and no expectations for perfection. We are not able to earn it and it certainly is not something we deserve. None the less it is ours for the taking.

The basis for calling the second part of the Bible the New Testament is founded on this message from the Lord. He promised a New Covenant unlike the one before. In Jeremiah 31: 32 it is clear God was disappointed, yet ready to once again offer undeserved wings of freedom to His people; “It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant though I was husband to them.” In Jeremiah 31: 33 the Lord declared, “I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people.”  This time He was not planning to inscribe His laws onto hard stone as he did the Ten Commandments, but instead to use the soft tissue of the heart to communicate his message of unfailing love, forgiveness, and hope.

Jesus was sent as the sacrificial Lamb to make an impact too incredible to cast aside. Then the Holy Spirit followed, entering the hearts of all, giving them and us the ability to begin anew. Jeremiah 31:34 reminds us; “For I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember their sins no more.”  

The New Testament illustrates a new chance at life, offering another opportunity to live the will of the Lord. We were saved by God’s Grace. It’s up to us to decide what we will do with that gift. Are we going to put it into the closet along side the many other unexciting or minimally useful gifts we have received, or will we wear it proudly, allowing our hearts to feel His Grace and share it with others? Accepting and giving Grace is a very powerful thing!

Listen/Read Jeremiah 31:31-34