Noah Found Grace

It's a new year. For over a decade (I don't remember exactly how long) I've read through the Bible on the even numbered years and on the odd numbered years I read through other devotional books to supplement Bible reading for my morning devotional times. This year I'm using the Bible Pathway guide to reading through the Bible. I used them once before but it's been over 15 years. I'm really enjoying the devotional thoughts that accompany each day's reading. There are some very thought provoking and inspiring insights in these devotionals. On January 3rd this was part of the devotional: "Noah was a striking contrast to Adam and Eve. Noah was surrounded by a generation defiled by sin, yet he obeyed all that the Lord commanded him (Gen. 7:5). Adam and Eve were in a perfect environment filled with the blessings of God but chose to ignore God's Word. Noah's obedience brought blessing to the entire world, while Adam and Eve's disobedience resulted in unending sorrow and suffering to the entire world. Noah stood as a testimony that man cannot use environment of circumstances as an excuse for choosing to sin."

That's an interesting point: Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world, but they chose to sin even without any peer pressure to do so. Noah lived in a vile, evil environment but he chose to "go against the grain" and do "all that the Lord commanded him." The Scripture says, "...Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6:9). We don't live in a perfect world, that's for sure. We DO live in an evil, vile world where sin abounds. But I desire to be known by God as perfect. If Noah could be perfect in God's sight, as well as several others listed in the Bible, I can be perfect, too. I'll never be perfect in other people's sight and that's okay. I'm only concerned about being perfect in GOD's sight. He sees my heart, He knows my thoughts, He know's the real me even better than I do. My daily prayer is "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psa. 51:10) and "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psa. 139:23,24). Another quote from Bible Pathway is, "Some Christians are not concerned with hearing the voice of God since they are too interested in hearing other voices." Lord, help me to tune out the voices and opinions of others and be only tuned in to YOUR voice." I thank God for the Word of God--the Bible IS God's voice. What's amazing to me is that as many times as I've read through the entire Bible, each time I do there are different verses that stand out and minister to me and each year I highlight something new in my Bible. I figure if I live long enough I'll have the WHOLE Bible highlighted! :-)