Never Again!

One of the first real disagreements I had with George was related to a philosophical discussion we had not too long after we started dating about the word "never". He believed that one should never say "never" about anything, and I believed there were some things that I just knew beyond any shadow of any doubt that I could definitively say NEVER on.

I argued my case like a New York lawyer, providing rational and reasoned examples, but he would not be persuaded. At the ripe and wise old age of 18, George knew that he knew that saying "never" was never a good idea unless you were on your deathbed, ensuring that the opportunity to break your "never," never arose.

Yesterday, the passage of scripture I read in my quest for a chronological year's read-through of the Bible detailed the account of mankind's steady decline into total depravity--so completely that God, who had previously declared his creation to be good, was deeply grieved and ready to obliterate humans from the face of the earth. Only one man, Noah, was found to be upright, so God decided to mercifully spare his family.

Providing detailed instructions for him, God explained to Noah that he needed to build an ark--a familiar story that you have probably already learned about by the time you'll be reading this. (for any new readers, I'm writing my year long Bible journey notes for my grandchildren to read one day many years from now~)

The flood came and waters covered the earth, but Noah and his family, along with all the animals aboard the massive boat were saved.

As a side note, I recently read an article about a man from the Netherlands who has built a replica of Noah's Ark and it was fascinating to see the photos. Take a look at this link if you'd like to see what he accomplished: http://www.pbase.com/paulthedane/noahs_ark

After the flood waters receded, God said NEVER! I love that God can do what man may not! Maybe George was right and I can't confidently say never about very many things, but when God promised Noah that he would never again send a flood to wipe out people, he meant it--even sealing his promise with a sign--the rainbow.

Today's passage, Genesis 8-11, is a wonderful reminder that we have a faithful, merciful God who keeps his word. While people continue to mess up, he continues to rescue and forgive--and I for one am very, very grateful that I can confidently say that my God NEVER fails.