Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Read Genesis 6: 1-8. TEXT: The Lord was sorry that
He had made man on the earth ... but Noah found favor
in the eyes of the Lord (see Genesis 6:6, 8).

Adam and Eve passed their sinful nature on to their
children. It wasn't long before this nature bore its
poisonous fruit. When God rejected the sacrifice offered
by their firstborn son Cain and accepted his brother's,
Cain murdered Abel. Though God protected him from
retaliation, Cain turned his back on God
(see Genesis 4:16) and taught his descendants, the
Cainites, to do the same.

Eve gave birth to another son named Seth through
whose descendants God promised to send His Son.
Sadly, most of Seth's descendants turned away from
God too, choosing to marry the ungodly Cainite women,
who led them away from God. By chapter six we read,
"The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great
in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was
sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it
grieved Him to His heart" (Genesis 6:5-6).

God decided to blot out man from the face of the land,
along with all the birds and land animals. But God
remembered His promise to Adam and Eve, and
looked in mercy on one of Seth's descendants. By the
power of the Holy Spirit, Noah still trusted God's
promise. Noah found favor with God because of this
Spirit-given faith, and was instructed to build an ark to
save his household and enough animals to repopulate
the world after the flood.

God would keep His promise to save mankind through
a distant descendant of Noah-the Child of Christmas.

THE PRAYER: 

Heavenly Father, our sinful nature is evil beyond our
recognition. Forgive us our sin and restore us through
Your Son Jesus. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)