OBSERVATION
According to this chapter, our actions evoke emotions from our Heavenly Father just as they would an earthly father. Chapter 6 begins by describing the wickedness of the people breaking God's heart. Then we have the contrast of Noah bringing God pleasure. Noah followed God even though no one else was. I would expect that when Noah was a boy, there were many people following God. But as the wicked people gain worldly success, the Godly people were drawn into their ways. Maybe they heard that voice inside saying "Why be good when everyone else is being bad? Just let that one issue slide and you'll be better off. Everyone else is doing it and see how well it's going for them? Besides there are people much worse than me." By the time Noah grew up, all the other Godly people had fallen away. Noah followed God all the time, not because it was popular, but because it was right.
APPLICATION
A pastor visiting our church named Caleb McNaughton gave us this illustration: Our culture is like a pot of boiling water. When we are placed into that pot of water we have three options:
(1) We can be like a carrot. When placed into boiling water a carrot becomes soft. Like a carrot, we could absorb the culture and become soft and bend and give in to what the culture wants.
(2) We can be like an egg. When placed into boiling water an egg becomes hard. Like an egg, our hearts could become hard to society. We could stop caring and just avoid all confrontation.
(3) We can be like a bag of tea. When placed into boiling water the contents inside of the bag of tea flow out into the water and change the water. We can let the Spirit of God inside of us flow out into our our surrounding culture, and through us God can change the culture of where we live.
Be that bag of tea!
PRAYER
God,
Thank you for the change for the better you have made in my life.
Work through me to influence those around me to see your grace and righteousness.
Amen
If your musk has a hint of freshly baked pastries:
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