Noah is 601 years old and humbly walks out of his hand-built ark.
Noah sets foot on dry cool earth and he builds a clean fragrant altar.
2 Cor 2:14 - God smells the the aroma of Jesus when you choose life.
But Life is more than talking about making the right choices.
Gen 8:21
"For the intentions of man's heart is evil from his youth."
If there be any good in us at all, it is God!
We are far more bankrupt than we know.
We are far more blinder than we realize.
Do we really see the evil intentions of our hearts?
One part of Noah is righteous,
flip the coin over and he's drunk, giving control to another.
And it's his two boys who cover Noah's shame.
May God direct us to build an altar of Praise
and a blanket of Grace over the sins we so easily see in others.
Matt 3:2
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Am I dealing with the evil in my own heart?
Am I offering coverings of grace to everyone else's heart?
"People are so apt to drift along on the surface of their lives
not really seeing or hearing or feeling very much
because most of the time they are little more than half alive,
the rest of the time time, dazed, dreaming or detached."
Noah sets foot on dry cool earth and he builds a clean fragrant altar.
2 Cor 2:14 - God smells the the aroma of Jesus when you choose life.
But Life is more than talking about making the right choices.
Gen 8:21
"For the intentions of man's heart is evil from his youth."
If there be any good in us at all, it is God!
We are far more bankrupt than we know.
We are far more blinder than we realize.
Do we really see the evil intentions of our hearts?
One part of Noah is righteous,
flip the coin over and he's drunk, giving control to another.
And it's his two boys who cover Noah's shame.
May God direct us to build an altar of Praise
and a blanket of Grace over the sins we so easily see in others.
Matt 3:2
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Am I dealing with the evil in my own heart?
Am I offering coverings of grace to everyone else's heart?
"People are so apt to drift along on the surface of their lives
not really seeing or hearing or feeling very much
because most of the time they are little more than half alive,
the rest of the time time, dazed, dreaming or detached."
Am I half alive?
I find myself wanting to shut myself away from the world after watching my child suffer betrayal and devastation that devastates me as well or to rage against those that have wrongly caused this to happen. I need a rainbow. But I also need to repent of the anger and bitterness that wants to take root. Pull it out Lord as I confess that I want to hold on to it. Thank you for your faithfulness.
ReplyDeleteMay I confess the sins that I do see and may I ask Him to take the blinders off and reveal to me the ones I do not see. May I be so covered with His Grace that I may be able to stand boldly before His throne and ask what I desire for me and mine and others and it be done! I do so want my prayers to be a sweet aroma to Him and not a stench to His nostrils. I have small glimpses of how evil my own heart is and it so devastating that I do not look long. Oh, the blessedness of being covered by His blood. I will truly never know how much it cost for Him to see my sin upon that Cross.My heart is breaking today.
ReplyDeleteMay I be a living sacrifice and pleasing aroma to the Lord Jesus this very day!
ReplyDelete--michele
Are any of you attending the Siesta Scripture Memory weekend in Houston later in January?
Nise, so great to see your words penned first this new year. I'm saying a prayer for your child before I type another word...
ReplyDeleteGod shut the door for Noah. Each time I read this, my heart is so touched by this detail. How hard it must have been to know what was ahead, to leave loved ones behind. I bet Noah dreaded closing that door for days as he built the ark and knew what he'd have to do. Even in its drudgery, it's still the only world we know. But we are not of this world. Stow away with the Lord and be saved. Rainbow covenant promises await.
Grace blanketing our sin. God gives us not only enough Grace to cover all our sin, but to extend that Grace to others, blankets of forgiveness--more than enough.
God smiled. Jesus started His earthly ministry symbolically the same way He ended it. He bore our sins and washes us clean to this very day. Jesus went into the Jordan waters that were mudded in sin, and came up hearing His Daddy say, "That's my Boy!" Grace miracles--we are such Grace miracles!
Oh, Nise! My heart just leaped to see your comment. Will you come back again and again and again?
ReplyDeleteHave missed you so, sweet girl!
Loved your mother's heart all over your comment. And I love where you went with it as you embraced not dismissed the offense...you went straight to Him to deal with your heart. Love you so!
I can only say that I would much rather repent and humbly turn from sin than to scoff and laugh at the God of heaven and earth.
ReplyDeleteIt's my choice to believe He is who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do.
I'm believing and repenting.
May our robes be clean as we examine our thoughts and actions. I fear Him...but even more, I love Him. Stay in the Word and obey.
Lord, our hearts are heavy with the reality of how we individually have sinned against You, and how our nation has sinned against You. Please, Lord, forgive us and heal us. Let conviction fall heavy on all of us so that we can make things right with You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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ReplyDelete