Imagine standing on the deck of a ship. You look out over the clean, blue water and are in awe of all of God’s creations. You can see the shoreline in the distance, the trees, animals . . . such beauty.
The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them” (Genesis 6:5–7 NIV).
When I read this passage, it saddens me. God created such a beautiful world and filled it with such amazing creatures. And for what? To be destroyed by His own hands. How heartbroken He must have been.
But then there was Noah, the one shining light in this darkness.
But Noah found favor in eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8 NIV).
Because Noah found favor in God’s eyes, all hope was not lost for the world. Sure, eventually the earth was flooded, but I like to think of it as a “washing away” of all the sins.
The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation” (Genesis 7:1 NIV).
Once Noah entered the ark, a new chapter began for the earth.
And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood (Genesis 7:7 NIV).
After they were all safely inside, the Lord shut the door and the cleansing began.
I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth (Genesis 9:11 NIV).
Even though God promised never to flood the entire earth again, He can still cleanse us from our sinful lives. We have but two options in this life: one, we can turn from our sins and enter the “ark” with Noah and be saved; two, we can refuse to turn from our sin and “drown” with the world.
I choose to board the ark!
Debbie Mitchell