Live or Perish

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LIVE OR PERISH

Gen 7:17-24

17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet.     21 Every living thing that moved on the earth perished — birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. 24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

NIV

Although it seems the fact that everything that had the breath of life perished is repeated, God wants us to know exactly what he caused to happen. Forty solid days and nights of heavy rain constantly pouring out of the sky would certainly cause flooding. We think of the foolish thinking of some people today who think the ocean level is rising an inch because of climate change melting the icebergs. God caused the oceans to rise to cover the highest mountains in the world. That was a change in the climate of the whole earth that wiped out all living beings.  What we cannot imagine is the horror people must have gone through as they tried to climb to higher ground to escape the flooding. Then they were in competition with the animals stampeding to higher ground. But no matter how much people tried to live, they failed and perished. This could be the greatest life lesson of all time. When people turn their backs on God and the inclination of their hearts is evil all the time, no matter if they have the breath of life in them, they will perish. It is not the will of God, for he would desire that none would perish but that all would be saved through his provision of Jesus Christ on the cross. However, the fact remains when people live without accepting God’s grace, Jesus, they are living only as people whose heart is bent toward self, and the greatness of mankind and its power over the earth, which in the terms of God, is evil. We know there are only two choices a person can make, life or perish. Noah found favor with God he lived, while all others chose self and perished. Praise his holy name, he sent the Spirit, and he broke through our stubborn hearts, melting them so we could see the truth of God, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and so we have found favor with God and we will live. It is sad that one day, another cause of God will happen and this earth and all who refuse God, thus refuse Jesus, will once again perish. Anyone can find favor with God and live because of Jesus. Should we not share the good news?