A Gracious Promise – October 11, 2022

The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”
Genesis 8:21

A Gracious Promise

They got what they deserved. The people at the time of Noah’s flood were described as corrupt and violent. Their thoughts were evil all the time. A holy and just God demands perfection and obedience. Those people were far from it. When the flood waters came and destroyed them, they rightly received God’s judgment.

Sometimes we think, “I wish God would give me what I deserve. I’m a hard worker. I’m faithful to my spouse, at least outwardly. I am a good citizen, and I pay my taxes. I attend church regularly. And yet my life is still a struggle. I live paycheck to paycheck. Where are my blessings, God? When will you give me what I deserve?”

Entitlement kills gratitude. And if we think we are entitled to anything from God, that entitlement doesn’t just kill gratitude—it kills faith too. The hard truth is we aren’t much different from the people at the time of the flood. God uses a similar phrase to describe them and us, “every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.”

If we deserve anything from God, it’s the same thing the people at the time of the flood received: death and destruction. That’s what our sins have earned us.

But God holds back his judgment. He made a promise never to destroy all living creatures again. It’s not because we did anything to earn or deserve that mercy; God just gives grace and mercy because he is a loving God.

Even the flood was an act of love. It preserved the line of the Savior, Jesus. God saved eight people from the flood. But when God sent Jesus, he saved the whole world. And all who put their faith in Jesus will be saved. That’s a lot to give thanks over!

Prayer:
Dear God, give me a thankful and grateful heart for not giving to me as my sins deserve but instead giving me life through Jesus. Amen.