Old Covenants: Never Again

Genesis 8:20-22 Written By: Sheree O’Pry

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.

 “Our precious Father, bless the reading and reader of this word, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

 A beautiful promise given to us all. We never have to fear that another Ark will be built while the entire earth is flooded. The flood was around 15-cubit feet or about 20 feet above the highest mountain peak! He never said he would not send flooding, but that he would never do to the earth as he had done with Noah. He is true to his promises. Noah and his family had been in the Ark for months before the waters had receded enough for him to exit. I get “cabin fever” after just a couple days of rain and no going outside! His first thoughts were of God and his love for him. He built an altar and offered the first sacrifice on this new earth. His thoughts were first and foremost of God’s mercy. Then scripture says that “God smelled the pleasing aroma and said in HIS heart.” This…moved me. Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, let us make human beings in our image and likeness. “HE smelled!! Like we do, and has a heart, that never stops! In our day to day lives do we take time to build an altar in our hearts and give thanks to the God we were fashioned after?

 God and giver of life here and in the eternal let us never take your magnificence for granted. May the Holy Spirit move upon us that you may be in the utmost thoughts of our lives and always give you the honor and glory only you deserve. Amen