Favor With God

But Noah found favor with the Lord. [Genesis 6.8]

It occurred to me today, in the midst of pondering all the details of events during the first years of man on earth up until the time of Noah, that some things matter more than others! Some things mattered more than others did in Noah's day and some things matter more than others do now.

I could be consumed by all the details of the story that raise many questions as to the credibility of the various accounts, or I could see the main point of God's story of redemption - a thread that consistently runs throughout the entirety of the Bible as we know it -  that tells the greater story!

In light of God's disappointment with mankind and His subsequent decision to eradicate this race that bore His image, we see that Noah found favor with God.

In a world gone terribly wrong, there really is only one thing that matters more than any other - that is that we find favor with God! How do we do that? By faith: faith in God and in His Son's redeeming work on our behalf. The writer of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

And, the verse above indicates that seeking God first, just like Jesus taught in Matthew 6.33, plays a role in faith! Finding favor with God is essentially accomplished in living to please Him and then believing there is reward in so doing. That is precisely what Jesus taught:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

Father, I want to seek Your Kingdom above all else - I want to ever-increasingly believe in You. I am aware that "seeking Your Kingdom" is loving and ministering to people. I know You will take care of the rest because that is what Your favor does. Be glorified in me.