Pray First

Read Genesis 6:5-8

After high school, I attended a local community college. One of my first classes was college algebra. After our first exam, the professor came into the class, handed back our graded papers, and announced that anyone who did not do well on the test could retake it. He gave the retake three times until everyone got it right. Three do-overs! The beginning foundational information for algebra was so important to understand that the professor gave multiple opportunities to succeed. If a student doesn’t grasp the concepts of algebra from the beginning, all else is on shaky ground and failure is imminent. 

After Adam and Eve’s sin and exit from the Garden of Eden, the population on the earth grew and grew. Along with this increase of people came also an increase of sin. God had created us to be perfectly in relationship with him. But humanity messed up. Satan so deceived and sin so infected man to the point of total evil all the time. Humans had become wicked and completely sold out to evil. 

“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Gen 6:5-6 NIV).

Their depravity increased more and more; even to the point that God regretted having created mankind. God was grieved to his heart, and said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds” (Gen 6:7). The mention of God’s sorrow and grief doesn’t mean that he had lost control, “nor does it mean that God hoped for something better but was unable to achieve it. God knew all along that this was how things would turn out, but our text clearly tells us that as God sees His plan for the ages unfold, it affects him. God is not unfeeling in the face of human sin and rebellion” shares David Guzik in The Enduring Word Bible Commentary. 

So God decided on a do-over. There was hope for humanity through the grace of God: “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen 6:8). God gave mankind a second chance through the righteousness he found in Noah. God, himself was not in need of a do-over; he had not made a mistake. Man had messed up. Man had become depraved. Man needed God’s grace. The flood came and destroyed all living creatures to rid the earth of the total depravity that had overtaken. Yet, through Noah and his family humanity was given another chance. 

Have you ever wished you could get a do-over? A second chance? A third chance? Besides the fresh start that God gave all of humanity through Noah after the flood, the Bible records many examples of God giving second chances to people. King David is a good example. After God anointed the once shepherd boy as King over Israel, David messed up royally. He had an affair with the wife of Uriah, one of David’s most loyal soldiers. She became pregnant, and he had Uriah killed so that he could have Bathsheba as his own wife. Not a fine moment for King David. There were consequences for David’s actions, yet God’s word still calls him “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). He was a mighty king and greatly blessed and protected by God, even after his sin. God even brought to earth His only Son, Jesus, through the lineage of King David.  

Just as God was not finished with David after his sin with Bathsheba, God is not done with us yet. He has big plans for us. If we’re failing to reach the life God intends for us, it’s not too late. If there’s a particular sin we continue to fall to, it’s not too late for God to forgive. If there’s something we feel we should do but keep putting it off for fear of failure, maybe there’s still time. If we’ve hurt a friend, we can still apologize. If we’ve lost our temper and yelled at our spouse or child, we can still change and learn to manage our anger and be tender. But we can’t do it on our own. God’s word says we’ve ALL sinned and missed the target of God’s will (Rom 3:23). On our own, failure is imminent. But God offers hope beyond our failure, beyond our sin. In Noah’s day, death was the price of mankind’s wickedness, death of almost all of humanity from the flood that covered the earth. And death is still the penalty for sin (Rom 6:23). BUT GOD in his love and mercy spared mankind through Noah. For us he sent Jesus to pay that penalty for our sin (Rom 5:8). And when we fail at friendship, or marriage, or parenthood, or anything else, God is present to help us overcome our weaknesses and failures. When we turn to him we’ll find that He’s there. 

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Ps 46:1).

“In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov 3:6).

If we’ve fallen deep into sin, can we get that do-over? If we’ve hit the bottom of the barrel, can we get a fresh start? Yes. We can call on the One who offers new life, life everlasting. We can ask God for his forgiveness and He gives it; not because we earn it, it’s a gift that we can receive by believing in Jesus, the Son of God. 

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).

Seek him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. GO ALL IN! Will you fail again and need another do-over? YES! But once you have put your trust in God, He will never leave you. Run back to him as fast as you can. He’s right there with open arms welcoming you back to him again…and again! 

And if you fail your next algebra test, maybe you’ll get a do-over! 

 

Worship Song: Run to the Father by Cody Carnes

 

Find Tracy on Facebook at Tracy Fields Todd, Writer, and on Instagram at @tracyftodd.