Finding Favor with God

Genesis 6.

In a world that was totally corrupt and "only evil" one man stood out from all the rest of the world's population.  "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD."

What were those transferable characteristics that set Noah apart?  The text does not leave us in doubt.
1. He was "a righteous a man."  He live according to what was right in God's sight, not the world around him.
2. He was "blameless in his generation."  This is how he behaved toward others.  No one had anything bad to say about him.
3. He "walked with God."  Like his great-grandfather, Enoch, he maintained a continual awareness of God's presence.  This guided everything he did.

God is about to inflict a world-wide judgement on this sinful world.  But notice that God always protects His own.  His wrath is not for those who put their trust in Him, but, rather, is reserved for those who reject His loving offer of grace.
1. God prepares for His own.  He gave Noah the plans for an Ark.  In John 14, Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you."
2. God promises to take care of His own.  In verse 18, He made a covenant with Noah.  Jesus said, "I will come again and receive you to Myself."
3. God provides His own all that is needed to carry out His will.  He made sure that Noah had skill, wood, food, and even brought all the creatures to him at just the right time.  Jesus said in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things..."

The last verse of this chapter: "Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him."

As I face a New Year in an increasingly corrupt and evil world, I want to be like Noah while I am here.   Incapable as I am to do that on my own, I am grateful that the Holy Spirit is ever present can help each of us to live in a way that pleases the God of heaven.