As we give thanks for this day that the Lord has made, rejoicing and being glad in it, praise God we’ve been given the ability to reflect on days past and to be ever so grateful for the many blessings we’ve received as well as the many trials the Lord has seen us through. For us here in Southern California, one of those trials was enduring the damage we suffered as a result of the recent Hurricane turned Tropical Storm Hilary which roared through our area a month or so ago. As we all know, this was a very unusual occurrence which has not happened to our region since 1939. So rare was this event that the authorities issued a “tropical storm warning” which is something that has never occurred in our recorded history.
As for the storm itself and as it was approaching, it caused a great level of anxiety, apprehension and even fear among many people. And if the anticipation of this weather-related calamity wasn’t bad enough, to top it all off, right in the middle of the storm and all of its related issues such as flash floods, high winds, mudslides and debris flows, we had an earthquake! And since that time there have been other devastating earthquakes all around the world, other super storms in other areas wreaking havoc leaving a trail of tears in its wake and other countries being plunged into chaos from a variety of unpleasant circumstances.
Of course we know that sometimes these type of distressing incidents are difficult for the frail condition of our humanity to process and to cope with, which is why those of us who believe in the Lord God Almighty must always draw our strength from and be guided by His precious Word, remembering that the Lord has told us, “…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 27) And let me be very clear when I say that there are no caveats, no clauses and no fine print attached to this divine call to perfect peace. It is the plain and simple truth being taught to us in love by the Glorious Giver of All Grace Who wants us to know that panic, anguish and being battered in the clutches of our carnal concerns is not a condition that He desires for us. The weak, nervous and confused state that engulfs and hovers over this entire hate-filled planet is not from God but from another source. Our Lord has given us something completely different, even in the midst of this evil environment we find ourselves in. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1: 7) Our God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. And the Prince of Perfect Peace Who He has sent to us is in the bodily form of His beloved Son Jesus, is the originator of our eternal salvation and the perennial path to the pleasures of His paradise. As He said of His own Self, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
But though we know that as long as we are on this earth tragic things will happen, we also understand that the rise of extreme weather patterns and the development of other disturbing events are just signs of the times that we live in. Jesus Himself came to Jerusalem and spoke on these very observations and concerns that disturbed those in the 1st century as much as us today. After His triumphal entry into the Holy City during the week of His passion, He told the people, “But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said He unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21: 9-11)
Just think, here we are over 2,000 years later and ask yourself, “Have we seen these same things?” Wars and rumours of wars? How about earthquakes all over the place or people experiencing famine and poverty? And more and more we see the drama and difficulty being caused by those who just want to make trouble, those whose love has waxed cold and want to harm others, who find humor in someone else’s suffering.
It’s enough to want to make you hide your head in the sand. But good news dear ones, we don’t have to hide. When trouble comes we should say what Moses said when Pharoah and his army had them backed up against the Red Sea. He said, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD.” (Exodus 14: 13) What beautiful and breathtakingly bold statement! Yes, when trouble comes, we call on Him. When sickness comes, we call on Him. When heartache comes, we call on Him. When things seem their worst, He’s at His best. When time seems to have run out, He can give you more time like He did with Hezekiah. When you feel surrounded by your adversaries like Elisha’s young assistant when they were in Dothan and encircled by the Syrian army, the Lord can open your eyes to see the mountains around you full of chariots of fire and know that you’re not surrounded, but they are. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Prophet Isaiah reminds us that the Spirit of the LORD; let me say that again, the SPIRIT OF THE LORD; let me say that one more and this time feel it deep within you, the SPIRIT OF THE LORD shall lift up a standard against him!
And just as Jesus was preaching righteous things to an ungodly generation about the perils of their unrighteousness, we see that approximately 1500 years prior to that, another “preacher of righteousness” was warning his unrighteous generation of a similar coming disaster. The Apostle Peter wrote about this individual as follows: “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly…” (2 Peter 2: 4-5) This was not only a warning to that generation, but a call to caution for those generations which were to come such as Sodom and Gomorrrha whose lewd, evil, perverted and sensual lifestyle was so offensive to God that He used their destruction to illustrate a coming calamity which the world will not escape. “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly...” (2 Peter 2: 6)
And so we see that from the beginning that ungodly living and behavior always has been and always will be a definite design for disaster and will not go unpunished. Surely scripture speaketh the truth when it says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6: 7) But thank God for His mercy and His grace because He has given us an opportunity to escape guaranteed future catastrophe by simply accepting His blessed offer of love right now. He and only He can reverse the sentence of death that we all deserve. Not only pardoning us, but purifying us by the blood of His Son for the glory of His majesty while giving us an incomparable gift in the process. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6: 23)
As for Noah and his generation, the Lord was not pleased with the evolution of man’s depravity therefore the result was inevitable. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them.” (Genesis 6: 5-7)
These conditions sound very similar to those we find on earth today. We know that these are what the Bible calls “perilous” times, meaning difficult, harsh and violent. And it was no different before the flood. “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth .” (Genesis 6: 12-13)
But as with us who serve the Lord with all of our heart, mind, body and soul, the Lord preserved a chosen and faithful few at that time whom He would protect from annihilation. And being chosen means we are among those who scripture speaks about when it says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” (2 Chronicles 16: 9) Noah was such a one as the Bible describes him as follows, “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6: 9) May we all make the sincere effort to live as Noah lived and walk as Noah walked.
Enoch also walked with God and he had an incredible testimony that told the whole story. And that testimony was that he pleased God! My Lord! What a testimony that is! And I know you know how marvelous it is to walk with God. Like when you’re driving in your car and suddenly He pours you out a spiritual blessing so satisfying to your soul that you almost have to pull to the side of the road just to praise His holy Name without distraction. Or when He opens up His precious Word and gives you some divine enlightenment that is so glorious that all you can do is just lift up your hands, throw your head back and shout, “THANK YOU, JESUS!” Or when you’re being viciously attacked by the enemy and you drop to your knees before the Lord of All Mercies and Comfort and He renews your strength with the power that turns your crawl into a walk, and your walk into a run, and your run into flight with wings as eagles, making you more than a conqueror. It is then that you can really understand and appreciate the lyrics to that old spiritual hymn which brings us such encouragement as it says, “And He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.” Yes, the fellowship and intimacy of an up-close and personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe is a precious privilege that though incomprehensible and indescribable, is oh so spectacular, particularly when those times of refreshing come from the glory of His presence.
And so, going back to Noah, even before it began to rain he found grace in the eyes of the Lord and according to God’s personal instructions and precise specifications, Noah built the ark which was emblematic of the method of salvation which the Lord would provide for him and his family. But for the rest of the earth, an untold terror was about to be unleashed, sparing none but the precious cargo contained in that sanctified sailing ship that was launched and secured by God Himself. “And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.” (Genesis 7: 16-17)
And that, as they say, was the end of that. “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.” (Genesis 7: 21-23)
Now it may have been the end of those evil ones, but it wasn’t the end of the story. At the conclusion of this thrilling account of redemption and salvation, a wonderful surprise was awaiting Noah and his companions. God made an amazing agreement and a promise to the survivors of this global obliteration of life on earth. “And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9: 8-11) And the best part is this ….. that same promise and agreement applies to us as well.
But God didn’t just make the promise, He left us all a sign of His commitment. “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9: 12-16)
YES AND AMEN!!!!! Right about now somebody ought to be shouting, “Hallelujah!” I know I am! Our God has already called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. And we can be confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The Lord has magnificent plans in store for us. He says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29: 11) We don’t ever have to worry about the earth being destroyed by water again. Because every time we see a rainbow, that’s exactly what it means because it belongs to Him. And it doesn’t mean anything else because it’s His. But nonetheless, glory to God, the next time this type of world-wide cleansing event occurs, the final time this type of cleansing event will occur, it will be gloriously different:
Malachi 4: 1 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”
2 Pet 3: 7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
2 Pet 3: 10-13 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
Rev 21: 1 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
So let this storm that just passed and every storm that is coming whether a natural storm or a storm in life, all of which are under the complete control of an all-powerful God, let it be a reminder of His promise of protection. And though you may not see it, there is a rainbow somewhere. But when you do see it, and even if you don’t see it, rejoice! Nothing can change the iron-clad promise that God has made to you. A promise of peace and profitability. A promise of restoration and salvation. A promise of holiness and happiness. A promise of elevation into eternity. You are precious in His sight. Even the very hairs of your head have been catalogued and indexed. You are a new creation, the object of His affection with an incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven just for you.
So let us be determined and purposed in our hearts to live godly, to live holy and to live righteous at all times. Speak good things, think good things and do good things. Let us not be like those in Noah’s day whom the flood waters caught off guard or those in Sodom and Gomorrah where the rain of fire and brimstone was a stunning surprise. We don’t know when, but a disaster to surpass all disasters is coming. Who will be ready? “For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6: 17) May we be like the 10 wise virgins in Matthew 25: 1-13 who were completely ready and expecting the bridegroom when he showed up unexpectedly. We may not know when Jesus is coming, but we can certainly be prepared for His arrival! And there is only one way to do that: “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55: 6-7)
You see, we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Our natural intended state from the beginning was to be godly. “…godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4: 8) This being made possible not by what we’ve done but by what He’s done. The world can’t see it but there should be no question for us because He has shown us that “…without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3: 16) And that, beloved ones, is the end of that.
Now may the Lord our God Who is rich in mercy and loves us with the greatest of love, seat us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that we may know the exceeding riches of that grace in His kindness toward us through Christ, our Savior. Amen.
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