Thirsty Thursdays---Week Three

As I read over the story of the flood this week, One thing jumped out at me. The story of the flood isn't about a thirst we have, it's all about a thirst our Creator has. So this week's post is going to look a little different then the past few weeks. Instead of focusing on our thirst, I am going to be focusing on God's thirst.

 Wait, you mean...God thirsts? How is that possible? God has no needs, so how could He thirst for anything? I know it sounds strange, trust me. The argument, however, can be made that we were created because He had a thirst. God desired to have a companion on earth, and because he couldn't find a proper companion in any of the creations He had made, He decided to make us. He made humans out of a thirst for companionship.

That being the case, God created us for companionship. How did we repay Him for giving us life? By doing what man kind has done best since the fall, we rebel. We turn away from Him, forgetting all He gave us, and go off and do our own thing.

We can only imagine how painful it was for him to sit in Heaven and watch His creation, the fruit of His work, rebel against Him. Not only did we rebel once, but thousands of times. Again, I know the argument can be made that He knew when He made us that we were going to fall to Satan's schemes. While this is a very true, very real point, we cannot overlook the fact that He chose to make us despite knowing we were going to fall. He still desired companionship, He wants it so bad that he was willing to create us knowing we would turn away. Now, if that isn't love, I don't know what is.

After just a few generations, the rebellion got so bad that God acknowledged that His immortal spirit and human's mortal spirit would not live together in harmony very well, if at all. Due to this, God decided to limit the years of His creation. Can you imagine having to limit the number of days your own child would live because of it's sinful nature? I know I couldn't, and I'll bet this decision wasn't an easy one for God to make either.

After this God saw exactly how evil human nature was and He regretted His decision to create us. This regret was so great that it lead him to wipe the face of the earth, killing every living thing He had created just a short while before this. Almost as though God was giving Him a fresh start. A do over with life on earth.

Sounds brutal, doesn't it? Not like the God we know, or the God we envision. This is where His all surpassing grace enters the story. God has decided to wipe out His creation, He decides this because of the ache in His heart caused by humans. This is when God remembers His faithful servant. God remembers Noah, a faithful, God-fearing man. God then decides that Noah and his family are the only humans who will have the privilege of being saved from the ultimate destruction.

God delighted in Noah because he continued to seek God's heart despite what everyone around him was doing. Noah was, as far as we can tell, the most consistent human quenching God's thirst for companionship. For this reason, God decided to show his mercy on mankind and give them a new start as well. All through this man named Noah.

Noah followed God's requests to a T, he cut no corners, nor did he try to use it for his own benefit. He built the ark exactly as specified, he loaded the animals as God instructed, and he waited, trusting God's word would come to completion. He did so without argument.

What does this mean for us? For me, this story serves as a reminder. To remind us that God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. It also tells me that He never forgets those who love, trust and rely on Him and only Him.

Does God still desire companionship? Absolutely. Now more than ever, I believe. In this age, wehre there are SO many options for people, I believe He is waiting anxiously for people. Displaying His love to them, to show He still cares, He still longs for them, He thirsts for even an ounce of their attention. However, due to his unfailing mercy, He'll sit and wait because He wants it to be our choice, His ultimate desire is for us to willingly love Him. After all, love that is forced, is not love at all.

What if we're never asked to do anything like this? My honest answer and opinion...so what? Just because He doesn't call you into something like this, He has still called you. He has called each and every one of us to be His and serve Him with our whole heart. We are called to thirst for His love as much as He thirsts for us to follow Him. That calling, for me anyway, is far better than any world changing task because His calling me did change something. It changed my world and that's enough for me.

So what about you? What does this story mean for you? When you read the story of the flood, what connections can be made from it to your own life? I'd love to hear your thoughts.