Be a Noah

 

 

Restore us to Yourself, O LORD,

that we may be restored!

Lamentations 5:21

Mr. Bill and I have concluded we are creatures of habit.  This may not have always been the case, but it is these days.  If we dare deviate from what is regular, typical, or uncommon, we call it an adventure!

 

One of the most intriguing passages in Scripture is found in Genesis 6 as it describes the early days of man outside the Garden.  “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great … every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (V.5).  From this verse alone, we see the depth and intensity of human wickedness.  In his book, As It Was In the Days of Noah, Jeff Kinley writes: “The image-bearers Yahweh made had transformed themselves into a global mass of moral chaos and wickedness. God’s magnificent creation of man had become a story gone horribly wrong. This, then, is the strength, scope, and potential reality of life without God.”  He later suggests Noah's day much worse because it was "without restraint" -- no laws, no policemen, no judges, no prisons – nothing to restrain evil.  However you might try to imagine the wickedness in the days of Noah, it was much, much, worse!  Verse 6 says, "And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart."  Then Verse 8, the beautiful contrast: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”  Ah, one distinguishably different, one who did not grieve the heart of Almighty God: "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God." (V.9).  Ah, there's the  difference!  Yes, these days are wicked too, but we also have Noah’s - they walk among us!  They are fruitfully distinguishable, they stand boldly although often alone, they persevere in difficult circumstances, they are faithfully true against winds of deceit.  They are a modern-day Noah who encourage and inspire us to do the same, finding grace in the eyes of the LORD.  Choose to be different – Be a Noah!