Never Again

As I read my morning devotional about a week ago, I ran across a scripture that made me pause. 

I like it when that happens because it is a sign that God is calling my attention to something important. 

I have to tell you, for a while, I've been struggling spiritually and emotionally. You have only to read the blogs, my Facebook page, or have longer than a 2 minute conversation with me to know. On average, people don't talk to me much. Really. No one. Those who do talk to me, like me. Those who don't get a little intimidated. I probably needed braces when I was a child, because my smile just terrifies them. That or I smell bad. 

I digress.

When I paused over the verse, I made a mental note to come back to that scripture and read more of the text so I understood the context. Of course, as often happens, I moved on and forgot. Mostly because I didn't make a written note. 

The verse in question is in Genesis 8: 20-22. Verse 22 is the verse that got my attention. In these verses, God is repenting the destruction of the world by flood. We've all heard that talked about in Sunday School. This was this was the first time I noticed he also repents for cursing the ground when Adam and Eve sinned! Do you remember anyone preaching on that? 

He harmed the earth, his beautiful creation, and he regrets it. He doesn't reverse the curse because he can't. It's already done and the effects of that curse are already working. Verse 21 is one of the most heartbreaking verses I've ever read. 

 Gen 8:20  Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Gen 8:21  And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 

The creator is sorrowing because he cursed the earth and destroyed every living thing. He realizes how horribly corrupted his children have become, and it is tearing his heart apart. Their actions caused his response. He can't fix what they did or change his response to their actions. And it is so very painful for him. We've all been there as parents, in some fashion or other. Haven't we? We've all hated the teacher who punished the entire class for one student's actions. 

In this verse, he expresses his grief and his regret. And he issues a codicil to his will. He adds a promise to the curse to atone for what he did to his lovely planet and the flora and fauna living there. He promises never again will he destroy everything because of human actions. 

Did you get that? He won't ever destroy the earth and all life because humans are evil from birth. In fact, he promises the natural order will continue as long as there's a planet. 

Gen 8:22  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” 

The state of the planet has been worrisome for many of us. I look around at what is left and think how beautiful it is now, but imagine it in its perfect state. It breaks my heart, too. 

I don't care what science touts about greenhouse gases, global warming, glacial melting or anything else. Nature will do what it was designed to do. This earth will continue the natural processes until God sends a fire and purges it of the corruption that runs rampant. We're living in the beginning stages of this now.

 At the end of that conflagration, there will be a new earth. I suspect the fire will sanitize the earth. The seeds in the ground and animal life will return robust and free of the scourge of corrupt mankind.  How wonderful it would be to see that. Yet, without redemption, we're doomed as human beings. Never to see the sun rise on a pure green sea or over a blooming meadow.