And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”
Genesis 8:21-22 (New Living Translation)
Four things pop out to me to when I read this:
1. God smells stuff. And He likes to smell burning fat. It’s true. But hey, think about it; who doesn’t like bacon?
2. God is just. And our actions and choices obligate consequences, whether noticed, seen, or felt. Usually though they don’t go unnoticed or unfelt, or without consequences.
3. We are all bent towards corruption. We all need help.
4. God’s mercy on us is as great an attribute of God as His judgment and love. And our concept of that mercy should be as big as our concept of His attributes of judgment and love as well. God’s mercy continues to increase as time goes on. You will see this as you read the Bible. I can see it in my own life. You can probably see it in yours. I mean, look at the world we live in. I would say on a bulk scale, the world is corrupt. Yet God has not returned; yet. Nor has He eradicated the planet. But He continues to give opportunities for people to come to Him and receive His mercy everyday. He is waiting on us. He is calling us. And He even ultimately sent His son to solidify that mercy for us; eternally. And His greatest desire is for us to accept it.
God promises the constants He created in the natural world around us to remain (planting/harvesting, cold/heat, summer/winter, day/night). They are a reminder of the cycle of life. They are a set of paradigms that counter each other. They are each a new beginning. And they are also a reminder of the new beginning He offers each of us. It can be a new beginning of a new day. Or it can be a new beginning of a new life; in Him. Through Him, we all have opportunities for new beginnings, a change in the seasons. He extends them to us.
And we should extend them to each other.
A Weathered Perspective...Thoughts From The Pacific NW 
Leave a comment