Ephesians 2: 4 - 7 has been one of those scriptures. Read it for yourself.
This part of the Bible has sat with me and I have chewed over and over it...a bit like a cow chewing the cud (if you have no idea what I am talking about, sad, I guess you needed to grow up on a farm...)
I have spoken about this scripture before in this blog so if you have nothing else to do you can look back through past posts and you will see that I have been impacted by this passage.
This morning as I was sitting with the Lord the Lord showed me something that is awesome and I want to share it with you. Please keep reading.
The first time 'grace' is mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 6: 8.
Oh we 'see' grace much earlier than that, like when the Lord provided coverings of animal skins for Adam and Eve, but here is the first time the actual word is mentioned.
'But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.' (NASB)
'But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord' (KJV)Now there is nothing particularly remarkable in this statement on the surface but dig a little deeper and the wonder of our God comes rising to us.
Firstly this was written way before the cross and God was a God of Grace even then...what does this say to us? When you read the Old Testament seek the Grace...not the law...seek Jesus, He is Grace and He is everywhere.
Secondly, we could ask why did Noah find favour in the eyes of the Lord? Maybe because he kept the Law? But there was no Law to keep! This was hundreds of years before the Law was given to reveal the need of man. So how did he find favour in the eyes of the Lord? How did He find the Grace?
You know the answer is found in the meaning of Noah's name.
Noah means 'rest'.
So rest found grace, grace found rest.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord because He 'rested' in the Lord. You remember Abraham, it is recorded of him 'that he believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.' Abraham rested in the promise of God.
It was the same for Noah.
Come on think about it...God came to Noah and called him by telling him to build a big boat because it was going to rain. Better scholars than I will ever be tell us that up to that point there had not been any rain at all on the earth and Noah was expected to build a big boat in anticipation of a big rain which would bring a big flood to destroy the inhabitants of the earth.
(As an aside...that action on the part of God doesn't sound much like grace does it? Let me just point this out to you, the Bible says that 'all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth' (Genesis 6: 12). There is an enemy who has a mission to steal, kill and destroy...that has always been his mission, from the beginning. In the carrying out of his mission he had his demons corrupt mankind by mating with them and so all flesh in Noah's time were giants, full of violence, not humans at all, a cross between demons and mankind...only Noah and his family stood pure and so God stepped in to preserve man and wiped out the work of the enemy by the flood...wow! What Grace! See the grace of our God on our behalf? What love! What grace! What favour!
If you want a New Testament example of our God acting in grace and favour to preserve His people then look to the story of Ananias and Sapphira...you remember in Acts 5? Read it for yourself. Now often people say that God dealt very harshly with these two, especially since they were Christians and part of the early church. Do not be deceived, Ananias and Sapphira weren't believers, they were agents of an enemy with a mission to steal, kill and destroy the early, fledgling church, the Bride of Christ and God dealt with this attack of the enemy. See it again? What Grace! What love! What favour! Church would not be except for the favour of God in dealing with the enemy as he tried to destroy the blossoming Bride of Christ.)
So back to where we were...
Noah, whose name means rest, rested in the promise of God and in that rest he found grace. It was not about what he did, it was about what God did, would do, about resting in the promise of God.
We are so blessed because we sit on the other side of the cross, the pinnacle of all history (His-Story), and in the day described as the Day of Grace, the Day of the Lord's Favour...
Why, oh why, then do we insist of making our own way.
Why, oh why, do we seek the approval of God by our work, by our law-keeping, by our pious strategies to be 'like Christ'?
Rest? How can we describe rest?
Rest equals me saying "I can't, but You, Lord, You can."
I can't deal with this issue in my life, but You can.
I can't deal with this sickness, but You can.
I can't deal with this financial crisis, but You can.
I can't deal with my lack of work, but You can.
I can't deal with this marriage crisis, but You can.
I can't deal with my wayward and rebellious child, but You can.
I can't be 'Christ-like' and grow in You, but You can grow in me...if I will just rest in You.
I could go on and on...
I can't deal with the need of my ministry, my call, the vision You have given me, BUT YOU CAN!
Oh, hallelujah!
So...I don't know about you but for me I say this...
I can't do it Lord but You can and I will rest there. I trust your promise that when You give a vision You will not fail to give the pro-vision.
I will sit.
I will rest in the promises that You have made to me and WTL; I will sit and receive Your word which says to me that I am 'seated with You in heavenly places so that You might show me the surpassing riches of Your grace in kindness toward me in Christ Jesus', Ephesians 2: 6 - 7.
Woohoo!
I choose to sit there!
