Genesis 9:12
12 Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. 14 When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, 15 and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. 16 When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” 17 Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”
The Lord’s heart broke because he saw that every thought and or imagination was totally evil of those he had created. He was sorry he had ever made them. That is why he made the decision to kill off every living thing, except Noah (who found favor with God) and his family, and two of every living thing.
I know that in my life I have broken the Lord’s heart. I can pinpoint the exact time in my life because I was living wickedly and my heart was filled with anger. It got so bad that I fell into a depression that lasted for roughly five years. I thought my life was over, all hopes dreams, the desire for a wife and a family. It felt like it should have come to an end, but it didn’t.
Something inside of me changed when I got to be around my newly born niece. Spending time with her gave me new life, a new beginning. I was able to see through her how much God loves us. I had been broken, beat up, and lived like I was dying for years. But I was shown his grace through the time I spent with my niece Maddelyn Grace. She laughed and smiled with me, let me read her Bible stories. God was restoring me slowly, and he used the birth of my niece to confirm it.
I know some people need a new beginning, a new lease on life. God has given us that new beginning. Through the story of Noah you see that it takes time. Even after the rains stopped it took months before they were able to get off the boat, and when they did God gave them confirmation through his covenant with the rainbow. We need to be aware of when we are dying inside. When we start to feel that way turning to God is the only way we can find our hope and dreams again. If you are having a tough time, read the story of Noah, or simply look up to the sky after a rain and see that rainbow that God placed in the sky to confirm that he wont flood the Earth again.
I have also broken God’s heart several times over. Up until a little over a year ago, if I lived in Noah’s time, I would have been one of the people who died in the flood. I can see now how God was always there using certain encounters and situations to try and pull me back to him. I am glad I finally started listening to his voice. The changes in me and my life definitely didn’t happen over night either. I slowly became more and more open to God working inside of me and throughout my life because I slowly started trusting him. I was very unsure whether his way really was the best because to me, it sounded like it lacked a lot of fun. In fact, it sounded boring and like I’d really have to miss out on a ton but that was such a lie! Life is actually so much better now.
The biggest blessing by far, I’d have to say, is that I have true friends. Not the kind that talk behind my back or who I only hang out with when I’m partying. They are the type that drop off cough medicine with a get well balloon because they heard I was really sick. They get me fleece pajamas for Christmas even though we said we weren’t doing gifts but they saw them and knew how much I wanted them and couldn’t resist. They invite me over to sleepover on Christmas Eve and Christmas with their family because they know mine is far away and didn’t want me to feel lonely. They always ask how I am doing with genuine concern, pray for me, give good, encouraging advice and so much more. Those are the kind of real friends who truly know all about one another and care for each other that God has blessed me with. Now instead of drinking and partying, we go ice skating, to the zoo, make gingerbread houses, go to the movies, out to eat, bowling, hiking, kayaking, to the apple orchard, have bonfires with s’mores… etc and volunteer together by serving at church and helping out our community. It is actually life so much more abundant just like God said. I have more joy and peace than ever before, especially since I no longer have to worry about what I did or said the night before that may have been embarrassing or wrong.