Genesis 8: 21--22
The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
--NIV
In the name of Lord, amen.
In the Gospels we read that Jesus called us the salt of the earth. The most important quality of salt is that its presence preserves. But Jesus warned that if salt stops being salty, it is useless. In this passage we see that it is in response to Noah’s sacrifice that God decided He would not destroy all living creatures again. The natural order will be preserved until the earth is renewed. Have you been doing your part in the preservation of creation?
Now, I’m not talking about recycling and environmental protection. Those things are important, but they are not part of our understanding of preservation; they are part of being good stewards of what God has given us. Rather, preservation is the work of God, and our part is to be present in creation in such a way that creation is preserved because of that presence.
When we pray, when we serve God, when we lead others to faith, we are acting as the salt that preserves the world. God does respond favorably to our prayers, and our service to His glory. It does not go unnoticed. May the Lord smell the pleasing aroma of our prayers and offerings, and preserve the world because of them. Amen.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, You smelled the aroma of Noah’s offering and said in Your heart that You would never again destroy all living creatures. May our prayers and offerings be as pleasing to You. Preserve the world because of our presence in it, amen.