And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
--Genesis 6:5-7
This is very hard for a reader to understand.
I'd like to share with you a quote from a book my husband is writing.
God’s regret over man’s sinfulness in Genesis 6:6 does not imply a change in God or that He wished He had done things differently. It simply communicates that God feels in time, when it occurs, what He knew in advance would happen.
--Timothy Berrey
I was struck with this truth today in a way I never had been before.
This would be a sad, discouraging thing for all of us to ponder if the next verse in the passage didn't exist.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
--Genesis 6:8
Noah heard the Words of God and obeyed them.
And just as God sees our sin in real time and grieves, surely He also sees our obedience and our worship in real time and rejoices.
It is a new year. New choices face us.
You and I have a choice today. We have a choice to hear the Words of God or not. We have a choice to obey or not. We have a choice to grieve God today. Or bring Him great joy.
What will you choose?