Choices

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:8

When all the world was upside down and in chaos with every thought of mankind only wickedness, how did Noah find grace? Choice. Noah's choice was to worship and follow God no matter what everyone else did. It's always been about choices.

Last week we looked at the choices Adam and Eve made to first disobey and then accept the sacrifice God made for their sin. But along the way to Noah, more choices were made.

Cain and Abel made choices. Cain gave his hard work on the altar as his offering to God. Abel gave a blood sacrifice of an innocent animal. Both boys were taught the necessity of a blood sacrifice. Cain's choice was not acceptable and he refused to follow God's plan. One bad choice led to the worst choice. He killed his brother Abel. 

God's plan would not be stopped. He gave Adam and Eve another son, Seth. Eve knew God had given her another seed instead of Abel (Genesis 4:25). As Seth's family grew, the world chose to move farther and farther away from God. Many of Seth's family made choices to inter-marry with the ungodly seed of Cain (Genesis 6:2,5-7). However, Eve's seed still remained in Enos, then Cainan, and Mahalaleel, and Jared whose son was Enoch. 

Enoch, the man who was not, he did not die because he walked with God. His son was Methuselah, the oldest man to ever live. Enoch gave him a name that means "after he is gone judgment will come." Methuselah died the year of the flood. His son was Lamech who named his son Noah which means "rest". God was going to give his creation rest, but first, there would be destruction.

Each son in the line to Noah had many sons and daughters but the ones who followed God, the ones who kept trying to tell a lost world that judgment was coming were few. It's hard to stay faithful when everyone else around you is making bad choices. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord because he continued to preach repentance while he built the ark (II Peter 2:5). God saved Noah and his family because they were willing to believe God and obey. 

God asks no less of us today. Believe His way is the only way. Accept the sacrifice of His Son for our sin. Demonstrate that belief in our actions and words.

As in the days of Noah, judgment will come when no one expects it. May we be found faithful.

Hey Kids: 

Reading genealogies in the Bible is tough but you will find interesting tidbits that bring all the rest of the stories together. 

Do you know your own genealogy? Who were/are your grandparents, great-grandparents? How far back can you go? 

Were they Godly men and women? How did they serve? 

How does God want you to serve Him? Make a list of the talents He has given you.  How can you use these talents to demonstrate God's grace to a world filled with bad choices?

Growing in grace,

Gail