Genesis 6:7-9 KJV(7)  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.(8)  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.(9)  These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:22 KJV(22)  Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

My biggest problem with finding those items that are always coming up missing is that I just give up. It seems like every day there is a portion of the day devoted to searching for those lost keys, the pair of socks that were laid down somewhere, or for me right now, this dumbbell that I know was in the game room not too many days ago. Hunter had been using it in there and then it somehow got placed either in storage or in a closet, but definitely somewhere that I have yet to discover. I know for sure it’s in the house, but to really find it I know I’ll have to maybe get up in the attic, go through storage tubs, or dismantle a closet. Not wanting to devote the time and really not wanting to go through the whole searching adventure, it’s much easier to just stop by Academy and pick up a new one. (which I did) You know, I could always use another one anyway. I’ve actually done the same thing with socks and, of course, pens.

While the need to search for misplaced or lost possessions can be such a frequent thing, and many things just remain lost because the search is not made, there are some things that are so essential to functioning, such a necessity for living that, no matter the difficulty, no matter what it takes, every rock will be upturned and every closet emptied until they are found. The best example of this is the good old keys to the car. Constantly left here and there, in pants on the counter, hanging on the refrigerator, etc, there will be no going anywhere, no working, no going to the mall or the movies until they are found. So, no matter what else is going on, when the keys come up missing, there can be no giving up on the search for them. For my Jeep especially there is only one set and to replace them would be a very expensive and involved process, much more than just riding the bike down to the auto parts store. For the keys then, there will be no stopping of the search. They are too important and necessary. They will be found no matter what it takes.

Something had become apparently lost for the people occupying the earth at the time of Noah. Their most valuable possession, the relationship with their Creator, had been lost with no apparent desire to search for it. It was so much easier to just stop by the store and pick up something else. Their lives had become full of alternatives and there was no desire or motivation to do anything about trying to discover what was missing. In actuality, what Noah found was something that was available all the time for every other person on the earth. The difference was that for Noah it wasn’t just a lost pair of socks or a dumbbell. This was the keys. For Noah, there was no going anywhere, no sleeping, no eating, no hanging out or chilling until this, his most essential and necessary possession was found. While others all around him thought themselves to be living it up and experiencing the pleasures of life, they didn’t realize that they were really about to lose their life. They had never taken the time or effort to search out the one thing that would really enable their life.

“But Noah found grace”. Noah was definitely set apart from the rest in his search, but amazingly he was successful. Right there all along and available for all, he, by his diligent search and faithful obedience found the very essence of life and the very thing that would save the human race. For him, all the other elements of earthly living were insignificant compared to finding the grace and favor of Almighty God.

The very grace that was available back then is available today. It isn’t, however, something that will jump out and tackle you. It’s the most wonderful and empowering thing that can ever be found and yet it must be sought for. Seeking the kingdom first is what allows all the other blessings to follow. There must be a willingness, though, to set every other activity aside and devote all efforts to the search. There will be no going anywhere, no healthy living, and no sorrowless pleasure without the grace keys. As the water was rising for those outside of the ark, so did their priority for the search for grace, but then it was too late. May this day be one of discovery where grace is secured far before the falling of the first raindrop, and may the fulfilling joy of faithful service be the continual pursuit that keeps us there in the realm of grace found.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 6:33 am and is filed under Faithfulness, Wisdom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.