Finding Favor

Posted by Karah

Pause

You may be so familiar with the story of Noah that you think there’s nothing left to learn. Skim over all of Genesis 6. Ask God to bring you face-to-face with its truths in a fresh new way.

Read Genesis 6:5-10 carefully. Note everything these verses reveal about Noah and his character. Record your findings.

“Noah, however, found favor in the sight of the Lord. These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.” —Genesis 6:8-9

Consider these questions:

Look closely at verse 9. Noah, like his ancestor Enoch, walked with God. What does that tell you about the kind of relationship he had with God? Explain.

Compare how God described the world in Genesis 6:5 to how Noah is described in the verses you studied today. How was Noah different from the rest of the world?

From the beginning, God’s story has been one of bringing people into relationship with Him. Why is it important that at this point in history, when the world was dark with sin, God was still seeking out people of faith like Noah to follow Him? Explain.

The Point

The world was rife with sin, but God was intent on redemption. He chose to move His story forward through Noah.

Respond

Like Noah, you play a part in God’s redemption story. How He uses you to have an impact on the future depends, in part, on your willingness to walk with Him. Like Noah, when you walk with God, you can be a glimmer of His light in a dark world. In your journal, record a prayer of commitment.

Thank God for His favor in your life. Be specific about ways He has shown you favor and blessed you.

For further study about the kind of people who find favor in God’s eyes, read Psalm 84:11; 2 Chronicles 16:9; and Proverbs 3:33-35.

Behind the Story

Noah’s father was named Lamech, not to be confused with Lamech the descendent of Cain. Noah came from the line of Seth, the godly line. Interestingly, both Lamechs are the only people in their genealogies who have quotations attributed to them. The Cainite Lamech spoke of murder and violence (Gen. 4:23-24); while Noah’s father spoke words of hope (Gen. 5:29). Lamech declared that his son would bring relief to humanity from the wearying labor that had resulted from Adam’s sin.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Weekly Devotions