The Sustaining Grace of God

“As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease.”

Genesis 8.22

To this date, God’s promise to Noah has been maintained. After being on the ark for forty years, when the earth dried and Noah’s family could leave from the ark, Genesis 8.22 shares the covenant God made with Noah. There was a caveat to God’s covenant, “As long as the earth endures, … day and might will never cease.” The covenant made by God remain—day and night have not ceased.

One blessing of international travel is that you fly through time zones. Going from the United States across the Atlantic Ocean, it may bless you to see night and day shift from one to the other. It is a phenomenal experience to be at 35,000 feet and see the covenant God made with Noah as a reality. The seasons give us the experience of “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter.” These will remain as long as the earth endues. However, there lies the challenge.

In Alabama, we are bracing for the hottest month of the year. So far this year, record high temperatures have broken heat indexes. We may see new records during the month of August. What are we doing to help the earth endure the challenges it is facing? Is climate change a reality? There are those who point to irregularities in weather patterns as a sign that we are being affected by what is happening in the climate. What can we do to help protect the earth so that it endures?

One organization suggests taking the following measures: embracing sustainable practices, supporting climate-friendly policies, and investing in technological innovations. Those seem like lofty ideas. Maybe it is a matter of not doing anything to harm the earth. The more we appreciate God’s gift to us, the more we should strive to take care of it.

I encourage us to enjoy those things that may inspire us to appreciate the earth. Wake up early and enjoy a sunrise. Conversely, you may choose to watch a sunset. Take time to notice the beauty of nature—plants and flowers, animals, a starry night, a rainbow, or the wide variety of birds. To date, God’s covenant with Noah is our blessing. The earth continues to endure, and we are experiencing the sustaining grace of God.

Amen.