Through the Bible in one year - Day 6

Psalm 5:4-6

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

evil may not dwell with you.

The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;

you hate all evildoers.

You destroy those who speak lies;

the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Genesis 6:5-8

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

These two passages spoke to me today of the need for righteousness, and yet of our own accord we are not righteous. God is holy, we can’t fake our way or scam our way into His presence. God will not be deceived, nor will we who are evil or harbor evil thoughts come to Him.

The other day I was thinking about the heart-pain we cause the Lord, and here in fact we hear just that – we grieve the heart of God.

But then the story of Noah.

I have loved this story for so long, and for so many reasons. From Bill Cosby’s dialogue, to the Jewish book “Does God have a Big Toe?” To the promise of the rainbow. Wow, Noah. This indeed is what difference one man (person) can make. This then is the difference we each can make for the world. This story is certainly a foreshadowing of the Christ, the Savior of the World, and it gives us hope – and a call. Hope that God cares for His creation, for us, hope that one individual can make a difference for good in this world, and a call on our lives to be that one person; to make that difference.

Luke 3:8

Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

John the Baptist says we must bear fruit in keeping with repentance and turn from our evil ways.

This is how we can make a difference in this world. We cannot stand on our past or the past of our family or friends, we must always be working toward the Lord, and for His purposes.

Today’s readings: Psalm 5, Genesis 6, 1 Chronicles 6, Luke 3:1-22