"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Genesis 6:8)
Man, do we need the favor and grace of the LORD in our lives today! Sadly, we recently lost a very popular world evangelist whose theme for his ministry was the favor of God. He traveled the world preaching that message and millions of lives were impacted by that word of encouragement. Fortunately for us, the message he shared is found in scripture.
In the verse quoted above, the world had gone crazy. People were partying, drinking, dancing, living with no thought for the God of heaven or the state of their souls. They were living in and for the moment, fulfilling every fleshly desire they could think of, and inventing new ways to do the same. It sounds rather familiar to you and me, doesn't it? Isn't that how the world feels at this time? Eveyone is doing their own thing - whether it is partying and celebrating or launching attacks on one another around the world. The voice of God is drowned out by the sounds and the signs He has given have been totally ignored.
Right in the middle of this, we read that Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. He was living for God and obeying His commands. We read in the entire passage that God had finally had enough and had decided to wipe out the entire world and start over. But Noah. God chose Noah to prepare an ark to save himself and his family. More importantly, while he was building this ark (over the span of some 120 years, by the way) God commissioned him to preach salvation to all who came near. Many comedians have joked about how the neighbors felt about crazy old Noah - building an ark in the middle of the desert, and talking about rain. They had never seen rain before on the earth, so this was something foreign to them and only convinced them further that he had slipped over the edge.
Ah, but when the rains came their narrative flipped. God had closed Noah and his family safely within the ark and no man could open it. Suddenly came the knocks and screams outside as those who once laughed and taunted were now begging for their lives. But it was too late. The time for salvation had passed and there was no one to save them.
I have drifted away from the subject of grace for a moment, so let me return. It was grace that placed Noah and his family within the ark while the world perished. It was grace that commissioned him to go forth, populate the earth, and subdue it. It was grace that showed him how to design and fashion such a vessel.
But grace is purchased, oft times, at a price. For you see, before Noah's call to build the ark, before the animals came to him, before his family entered, before the rains came and God closed them in, Noah walked before God in holiness. God knew Noah - was familiar with him. Because of that relationship, God extended His grace. Was Noah perfect? Certainly not, for we see after the flood Noah getting drunk in his tent, exposing his shame. Yet he had a heart after God.
What about you? How is your relationship with God? I know you fall short of what God wants for you. We all do. But, how is your heart? Do you repent and come running back to Him, or have you slinked away in the shadows - hoping He won't see what you did? The Bible tells us that as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the last days. These are those days, my friend. As surely as the rain warned of the soon-coming destruction and judgment, so do the events we see happening all around us today. The Day of the LORD is upon us. Soon it will all begin and the days of repentance and crying out for salvation will be gone. Today - right now - is the time to restore a relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Don't wait for we are never promised another breath.
Be blessed.
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