Through the Bible in one year - Day 9

Genesis 8:22
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.

Genesis 9:9-11

"Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."

The way that God makes a promise to us – is to remind himself that we can’t help ourselves. This reading in Genesis is intriguing because it is where God makes a promise not just to us – but to every living creature. This promise is grand and broad, and we didn’t do anything to ‘deserve’ it. How often do we think to ourselves ‘we deserve this’ or we deserve better than that? The truth is, we probably don’t. I know that God has my number, when he says the “intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth,” (Genesis 8:21) he describes so much of what we see and read about in the news – and if we are honest, what is in our own hearts. And yet, God doesn’t leave us there.

In Genesis He makes a promise – to himself – and to us, and he puts out a visible reminder – for himself – and for us in the rainbow – never again will he cover the entire earth with water, even knowing we deserve it.

The psalmist says:

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)

This idea that the stars are the work of His fingers – gives me an impression of just how small we are – and how grand God is; that the stars are finger work; as if he was doing a simple finger painting like we might have done as children. Then the psalmist asks, recognizing the grandeur of God and the heavens, what are we that God is mindful of us? Good question.

In the Luke reading today we see Jesus has the same presence; the same power and authority. The fish of the sea are at his command, the leprous, cleaned, the paralytic, healed, and the sinner, forgiven. The scribes and the Pharisees ask the correct question; who can forgive sins but God? (Luke 5:21) Only God, and that’s the point.

I thank God, that He doesn’t leave us in our sin; that He doesn’t destroy the whole earth, but rather that He sends His Son, Jesus to be with us and to save us.

Today’s readings: Psalm 8, Genesis 8:20-9:19, 1 Chronicles 9, Luke 5:1-6:16