Origins: The Beginning (Genesis 1–11)Sample

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth.” Genesis 7:23 (NKJV)

God keeps His word. We need look no further than the proceeding passage as the unthinkable is unleashed upon the earth. Now really think this through: up until that point in time, every inhabitant on earth likely viewed life the same way most people today tend to . . . ongoing. 

How would it have been to imagine everything coming to a full stop; the bustle of the marketplace, the predictable transition of the seasons, all the minute details of daily life that convey unbroken continuity? Imagine all the things you take for granted in life coming to a complete end. It’s somewhat unthinkable, isn’t it?

And yet, it happened, just as God said it would. This teaches us an important lesson that should serve as a foundation for our lives: God keeps His word, no matter how improbable, impractical, or inconceivable it might seem. But not only as it relates to wrath and judgment; this surely also applies to His mercy and compassion towards His people. Notice how God kept His word as the story continues; “Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive . . . the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days” (Genesis 7:23–24 NKJV).

Just as God said He would cover the earth in the floodwaters of judgment, He also said He would save Noah and his family . . . and He did! Don’t move beyond this before considering the miracle that this was! An event that destroyed absolutely everything on earth, and which lasted for one hundred and fifty days, could not negate God’s promise to Noah!

In hindsight, it’s easy for us to just read past these details because we can tend to be overly familiar with the story. But let the facts sink in. God promised to do the unprecedented and did it! Earthly expectations, understanding, limitations; none of it could alter the reality that God declared something. At the end of the day, that’s really all that matters.    

Now apply this principle. What promise has God made to you? Is it something as hard to fathom as the total immersion of the planet? Do the odds seem as stacked against it as a single family being saved? Are you on the brink of disbelief? Just know this; the power of God’s promise is greater than that which could make you question it. God keeps His word, no matter what.     

DIG: What did God do in this passage?

DISCOVER: What does this teach us about God? How can you grow in applying this truth about God in your own life?

DO: Reflect on some of the promises God has made to you. How are you walking in them?