Finding Favor with God

Genesis 6:8-22 (New International Version)
8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

9 This is the account of Noah.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress [a] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. [b] 16 Make a roof for it and finish [c] the ark to within 18 inches [d] of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

John 3:16 (New International Version)

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Psalm 19:14 (New International Version)

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Philippians 2:12-15 (New International Version)

Shining as Stars
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

When I sit back and watch the world, I notice so many people looking to find favor in the eyes of their fellow man. Politicians always making a power grab, trying to find favor with the world. Actors, musicians, business men, athletes, doctors....on and on you could go. Award shows, honors, man finding favor with man. I was on that road, working to find favor and move up a ladder....but how often do we try to find favor with man only to end up falling on our face in rejection?

It warms my heart to watch an award show and see a celebrity thank God before thanking anyone else. How much richer would this world be is people stopped trying to find favor in man but started trying to find favor in God.

It is an awesome thought to think you find favor in God, but when we accept God into our lives and allow him to walk with us daily, we DO find favor in the Lord. And there is never rejection from God.

When you read the story of Noah, it doesn't seem that far off from the world we are dealing with, full of sin and corruption. People out for themselves. Noah was alone in his walk with God. Do you ever feel that way? Do you feel like you are alone walking with God and the rest of the world is out there walking for their own success and accolades. Living a Godly life in today's world can often be very lonely. However, as God showed Noah, the rewards are great. Those living without God find death, Noah was spared, as are we through the Resurrection of our Lord.

God asks us to have a genuine faith, not a perfect faith. It isn't our surroundings that keep us in close fellowship with God, it is our heart that qualifies us to find friendship in God. Allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our heart allows us to find favor with God. Through the Grace of God we never have to feel alone in a world that most of the time seems to be spinning out of control. God gives us grace to live victoriously!!

Prayer:
Father God, oh may I find favor with you. What an honor for Noah to be favored by You, yet I realize that he was obedient to Your Word. Give me a hunger to fall in love with Your Word and put it to work in my life. you are worthy of praise. Amen