Read: Genesis 9:1-11
Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (v. 1)
Have you experienced the joy and relief of being given a second chance? Paradoxically, there is often just as much gratification for the one bestowing grace as the one receiving it. I wonder if our satisfaction in giving second chances is but a small taste of the joy God feels in pardoning his children and bringing them into renewed relationship with him.
Today’s Bible reading is a second-chance flourishing story—one that comes after Adam and Eve were sent from Eden into exile. In this story, creation was not flourishing as God intended. Through a massive flood, God cleansed the earth from the sin and violence that had accumulated since the fall into sin. As an act of grace, God saved Noah and his family, along with a multitude of animals. After many days in the ark (about a year in all), Noah and his family stood upon dry ground. There, God renewed his covenant with Noah and his family and every living creature with them—one that echoed the invitation to flourishing given to Adam and Eve.
One thing the flood shows us about the character of God is his commitment to human flourishing—the kind of flourishing that invites righteous living. Noah pursued the God of righteousness over the godless way of living embraced by the culture of his time. Will we accept God’s invitation to righteousness and flourishing in our own lives?
As you pray, invite God into an area of your life that needs a new beginning.
Katelyn J. Dixon is a contemplative writer, speaker, and poet living in the Seattle area. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys cooking, photography, and exploring the enchanting Pacific Northwest with her husband, Drew, while partnering with him in life and ministry.
