Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and full of violence.  God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.  Genesis 6:11-12 NIV

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds , and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,  I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.  Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life”  Genesis 9:13-15

Does any of this sound familiar?  This was basically the beginning of time on earth.  We were only 6 chapters into Genesis when God was so upset by the corruption and violence on earth that he was sad that he had made humans.  You see God made Adam and Eve and gave them specific instructions not to eat fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden.  Pretty simple instructions, right?  But along came the serpent, who we all know was satan in disguise, and he convinced the woman that it would be okay.  She then convinced Adam that it would be okay for him to eat it too and there you have it, the first sin.  We all know that sin ran rampant from that time forward.

Now I don’t know about you, but this story sounds very familiar to me.  I am often tempted to do things that I know I should not do.  Things that would make God sad. Things that would strain my relationship with God.  The Bible clearly tells us that we can even do things that grieve the Holy Spirit.  I don’t want to do that.  The problem is, that God created man in His image, but He gave him free will.  Our free will is often the thing that sinks us.

See God intended for us to live in this heaven here on earth kind of place.  Eden was lush and beautiful, it had no weeds or insects.  All Adam and Eve had to do was enjoy this beautiful paradise and not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.  They just couldn’t do it. In Genesis chapter 3 when God confronts Eve about her sin, of course she replies that the devil made her do it. God then tells her that she will suffer painful child birth.  He then tells Adam that the ground will be cursed and through painful toil will they eat food from the ground.  He goes on to say that it will produce thorns and thistles.

Now both sets of grandparents were farmers.  They farmed cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and strawberries.  I watched them toil and sweat many days in the hot summer sun to bring those crops in.  The Bible clearly says that for us to eat from the ground there will be much toil and sweat of the brow.  So the next time you eat a vegetable or a fruit, remember to thank God for the farmer that toiled to get it on your table.

By chapter 6, God was upset by the wickedness and corruption that was going on in the world.  He decided to erase the drawing board and start over.  In chapter 6 it even tells us that “the Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled”.

So I am sure that we all know the story of Noah and his ark.  If not, it can be found in Genesis chapters 6-9.

So let’s fast forward to today.  Living in southeast Louisiana I have often seen the total devastation brought on by hurricanes.  Katrina was the most notable so far, but many hurricanes have affected Louisiana and our neighbors along the gulf coast.  Last year our neighborhood and surrounding areas were devastated by flood in March and an even worst flood in August.  Sadly, some people were just about to move back into their homes from the March flood when the August flood came through and flooded their homes again.  When you see these things happen, you know that God controls these things and the question on everyone’s mind is why?  We know that we serve a loving merciful God, so why do these things happen?  Well our pastor explained it like this, devastation happens because of sin.  God allows devastation and destruction because of our sin.  Now before you go getting all riled up, let me explain.  You see we live in a sinful world full of corruption.  No one can doubt that, right?  If God was deeply troubled way back when the world began, what must He be feeling now?  The news reports are full of corruption and violence and it is worldwide.  Now I am in no way saying that everyone who flooded suffered because of their sin.  I am saying that God has been saddened by what the world has become and unfortunately there are times when the righteous suffer along with the wicked.  But we know that we are all sinners.  Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Billy Graham wrote the book World Aflame, which was published in 1965.  While reviewing the book his wife told him, “Billy, if God doesn’t come soon and bring judgement upon the United States, He’s going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!”  Now Ruth Graham passed away in 2007, but I wonder what she thought about the world by then?

You may recall that the Lord decided to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness.  Abraham was troubled by the fact that the righteous would be destroyed with the wicked and began pleading asking God to spare the cities if he could find just 10 righteous people.  The Lord agreed that if 10 righteous people could be found then he would spare the cities.  This is in Genesis 18.  In Genesis 19 the two cities are destroyed.  This tells us that in 2 cities not 10 righteous people could be found.

Our nation has become a nation of tolerance.  We tolerate evil, wicked behavior and claim that people have a right to behave that way.  People commit acts that are clearly defined as sin in the Bible and if you confront that behavior then you are persecuted. You are accused of violating someone’s rights. Our nation is destined for disaster if we don’t have a nation wide revival. Only God can save this nation of ours.

Unfortunately, the righteous are suffering along with the wicked in these wake up calls that God sends out.  We serve a loving, merciful, compassionate God.  But right now we serve a God who must be deeply troubled by what is going on with human beings in this world.  God promised that He would not destroy the world by flooding but there are people right now as we speak in Texas going through some horrible flooding and devastation.  Unfortunately the world has become so corrupt that we are seeing the righteous suffer with the wicked.  There is evil everywhere we turn.  We must turn to God.  Our nation was founded on Christian principals and we must stop this pattern of turning away from them and turn back to them.

I ask you to join me in prayer this morning for those affected by hurricane Harvey.  Houston, Texas is also no stranger to flooding.  I pray that God will bring comfort and peace to those who are dealing with the terrible effects of this disaster.

I also ask you to pray for our nation and our world.  I ask you to remember the rainbow.  God doesn’t want to destroy us.  It breaks His heart to have to destroy His people and bring devastation on them.  It breaks His heart more to see His people destroy each other.  Pray for those that are lost.  If you are lost and in need of a relationship with Jesus Christ, pray for Him to come into your heart and find a good Christian mentor to help you as you begin your journey.  If you are saved and secure in your relationship with Jesus Christ, then get busy.  You have a job to do.  Pray for God to send people into your path that you might witness to and attempt to lead  them into a relationship with Christ.  Pray that they would be receptive to hearing the word of God.  Pray that God would give you the right words to say to speak to their heart.  As long as we live and breathe it is not too late.  While we are on this earth, we are expected to make disciples of men.

I don’t know about you, but when I see that rainbow in the sky I am reminded of God’s promise.  I am reminded of the fact that He is always near.  All we have to do is call out to Him and He hears us.  He is there for you too.  Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.

Have a great day!