But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. --Genesis 6:8
Dear Girls,
God showed grace to all on the earth in the years prior to the flood....not just Noah. Everyone had been warned that judgment was coming. Noah preached the message for 120 years and built the ark in their sight. They had the same opportunity as Noah and his family to get in the ark. The invitation was there. Unfortunately, only Noah, his family and the animals listened.
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,--Matthew 24:38
The Bible tells us that 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 yet in mercy, gave them 120 years to repent. It wasn't that God looked at Noah with eyes of grace and everyone else with eyes of condemnation. NO! He looked at all with those same eyes. He did not wish any of them to perish. But it was Noah that FOUND the grace. Noah didn’t earn grace; he found it. No one earns grace, but we can all find it. How? The same way we find it today...by faith. Noah believed God. The fruit of that belief was obedience.
Look at Peter and his many many failures. Look at the Apostle Paul who calls himself the chief of sinners. Each of them looked into the eyes of the Lord by faith and found not condemnation but grace. Me, a woman who has been forgiven much...looked up into His eyes and unbelievably found grace.
Girls, each of us can come boldly to His throne to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We can experience the mercy and blessing of God in the midst of instability, insecurity, grief, sadness, chaos and trial. We find it by looking up...taking our eyes off ourselves and/or our circumstances...and gazing into the eyes of Him who died for us when we were still his enemy. We find it by looking into the eyes of the One who even now lives to make intercession for us. And like all who have by faith looked before..find grace. Peter looked into the eyes of Christ after denying Him three times and what He saw made him weep. He did not see disappointment or condemnation...Peter found grace.
In the midst of the chaos of this world, remember to behold Him...to look up and gaze into His eyes and find grace to see you through each and every moment. Everything you need, you will find in Him.
Love
Mom
"Lord you're beautiful...Your grace is all I seek. For when Your eyes are on this child, Your grace abounds to me."
