Grace

 July 12, 2022

“Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.”

—Genesis 6:8-9 

Which came first; the chicken or the egg? Did Noah find grace in the eyes of the LORD because he was a just man, perfect in his generations, walking with God, or was he a just man, perfect in his generations, walking with God because he found grace? If grace was the source of Noah’s righteousness, why Noah and not the others? 

As a Christian, I am convinced of what Wesley called “prevening grace,” God’s favor that enabled me to come to repentance and faith. Had God not been gracious before I did anything that could be considered deserving, I wouldn’t have even taken the first step. So why do some come to faith while others miss the boat?

Part of the answer may be in that single word, “found.” Grace is available to all, but is found by only those who look for it. Maybe the others didn’t find grace because they didn’t look for it, which makes me wonder how much grace I miss because I don’t look for it. It’s easier to pick up the baubles of this world that are lying on the surface, than to dig for the riches buried in God’s Word. Jesus told a pair of stories about this very matter—a treasure hidden in a field and found by a tenant farmer, and a merchant who searched for a singular pearl of great price. 

The farmer wasn’t looking for a treasure, but he was hard at work; the merchant knew what he wanted and searched for it. Each recognized value and sold everything to get what they wanted. Too many of us cannot even be bothered to open our Bibles except on the occasional Sunday when we show up at church. Even when I am diligent in Bible study and prayer, I find myself easily distracted by this world’s baubles. Searching is hard work, and we give up too soon, too often.

I need grace. Without it, I am confirmed in my sin and unable to walk with God. The old hymn says it well: “I need Thee every hour.”