“Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you” (Genesis 6:17-18, NLT).
Noah lived during a dark time. The corrupted seed of Adam and Eve had indeed multiplied in the earth. In fact, Scripture tells us that evil had grown to such an extent on the earth that “the LORD was sorry he had ever made [humanity]” (Genesis 6:6, NLT). Then, He said He would “wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing” (verse 7, NLT). There seemed to be no hope. It was a desolate (joyless, sorrowful) time, but then the Lord looked and saw Noah.
The Word notes that “Noah found favor with the LORD” (verse 8, NLT). Instead of conforming to the wickedness of the civilization around him, Noah upheld morality and goodness. He was truly countercultural. The result of Noah’s obedience was that he and his entire family were saved from the Flood that destroyed every other living thing on earth.
It was a good thing, too. Without Noah and his family, humanity would’ve ended there. But through Noah, hope was reborn on earth. Because of his faithfulness to God in a world turned toward evil, God was able to use him to repopulate the earth and to continue His plan of Redemption for humanity. Noah showed how one person in obedience to God can change the entire arc of history.
God declared a new beginning and sealed it with a blessing and a covenant that echoed the one He had given Adam in the beginning. God told Noah, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1, NLT).. “Then God told Noah and his sons, ‘I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will flood waters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth’” (Genesis 9:8-11, NLT).
And so, God’s plan of Redemption for humanity continued…
Study
In This World, Not of This World
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:15-16, NKJV).
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2, NKJV).
Live the Word
Are you part of the world? Or have you embraced the life of holiness, as one set-apart to God? This is the place God has ordained for us. And it is a life of joy and peace: In the world, not of this world.
Speak the Word
I declare today that I will present my body to God as a living sacrifice—laying aside sin, bad habits, ungodly friends, and anything else that would hinder me in running the race God has set before me. I will not conform to the patterns of this world—not to its way of thinking, talking, or acting—but I will spend time reading, meditating, and acting on the Word of God so that I will be transformed into the kind of person He wants me to be. As I walk and live in the perfect will of God, I fully expect to see a powerful change in my life. I know that by staying in His will I have positioned myself to receive every blessing promised in His Word, and I receive it now by faith. In Jesus’ Name!
Scripture Study: Romans 12; 2 Corinthians 6:17
Apply
God is calling us to be separate. We must live in this world, and yet not look like it, act like it, talk like it or live like it. How will others see the power of God in us, the love of God in us, the redemption of Jesus in us—if we look just like them? The difference they see in us should be Jesus! Are you shining in a dark world?
Walking it out to victory:
- First, ask God to check your heart to find areas He needs to address (Psalm 139:24).
- Second, surrender behaviors, thoughts or attitudes the Holy Spirit convicts you about.
- Last, commit to changes that will allow Jesus to shine through you brighter than ever.
Click on the image below to download the PDF with the devotion and the craft activities related to Noah.
