Message summary: Have you found grace in the eyes of the Lord? Will you this moment His grace receive?

Listen to our message on your audio player.

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Genesis 6:8).

One way I look for witnessing opportunities is with people's names. Last week I met a young man named Nicholas and asked him what his name meant. He didn't know so I told him that Nicholas is an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity. It originally derived from a combination of two Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In turn, the name means "victory of the people."

However, I focus on just the first word Nike which means victor or overcomer. My favorite use of the word in the Bible is the compound word hypernikōmen in Romans 8:37 translated "more than conquerors".  Also see here for Greek Interlinear.

But today's message we focus on a friendly young man named Noah we visit within the course of our work as chaplains. Not knowing of his spiritual interest I asked him, "Has Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord?" He didn't appear to be familiar with the verse I was alluding to but thought he had a Bible at home and would look it up. My challenge to him was to find the verse and tell me where it was. This Friday I expect to see him and!

Today's verse is the first time the word "grace" is found in the Bible. Some versions use "favor". The Hebrew word Chen is translated in the Septuagint by the Greek word charis which is usually translated "grace" in the New Testament. AW Tozer comments "Grace is the goodness of God confronting human demerit. So, grace is what God is - unchanging, infinite, eternal!"

The phrase “found grace” or “found favor” indicates an unearned kindness that God bestowed upon Noah. Likewise for us to find grace speaks of being a recipient of God's unearned favor.

In the prologue to John's gospel we read this overarching statement, "Out of the fullness of His grace He has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another" (John 1:16).

Noah had a tough assignment. He lived in a very wicked society destined for destruction, yet he lived victoriously and in obedience to God! In that ancient age he found, like Paul did millenniums later, that God's grace is sufficient. Today there has been no diminishment in God's grace. His grace remains sufficient for our salvation and sufficient for overcoming any trial we may face.

Have you found grace in the eyes of the Lord? Will you this moment His grace receive?

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber