When God had Enough

Long ago, there was a time when God had enough. Enough of seeing wickedness on the earth. Yet he found one man on earth who was blameless.(Genesis 6:9)

Did you say blameless? That caught my eye too. The possibility of being blameless appears so slim to me. However, God found that man and he found favor with God.

When God saw that there was too much evil from humanity on earth, he regretted having made man. The thoughts of the human heart were evil all the time in the eyes of God. So, the heart of God became deeply troubled. He had had enough! So, he shared the pain in his heart with that man—he was planning to stop evil on the earth.

Then God asked that man who was faithful to him to build a vessel. He didn’t know what a boat was. God provided him with exact measurements for the structure of the vessel he wanted him to build. God designed the large vessel to have three decks. He built that boat according to God’s instructions.

When the boat was ready and God was ready, he asked that man to fill that boat with a certain number of animals of every kind that he would send to him. And to pack enough food for all of them. The man obeyed. And God asked that man to go inside that big boat together with his family.

The door was closed. Then, floodwater filled the earth, and the boat floated. The flood wiped out the earth’s creatures. Only the people, animals and birds on the boat survived.

That man was Noah.

That man of faith could discern what was best, so he could be blameless. Noah recognized how to live and what was best, vital and right, so he was righteous and irreproachable in the eyes of God. Well, why can’t we live to please God? Our verse for today indicates that we, who by faith in Christ are his children, can live in a way that pleases him.

In Philippians 1, Paul prayed that God would cause our love to develop in such a way that we can perceive what is vital and best and be pure and blameless. As we allow the Holy Spirit to fill and empower us, he will prepare our hearts and actions for the day Christ returns.

God, please guide me to hear and follow your will, in Jesus’ name.

Throughout this day: Let us develop and grow in the love of God. Let us incline our hearts to God’s heart. When that happens, our actions will flow toward God’s will for our lives. Rereading the story of Moses in Genesis 6 may encourage you.