Patience

Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

Genesis 6:3 ESV

This verse makes it sound like God's patience has an expiry date. If we read it wrongly, we might assume that God's patience wears thin after 120 years. I want to try and challenge that assumption.

In this very same chapter, we read that Noah found grace/favour in the eyes of God. We know from the rest of the account of Noah that he wasn't perfect. He got drunk at one stage.

Yet God was patient with Noah. God showed Noah grace and favour even though he didn't deserve it. The God of Noah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Some people have lived longer than 120 years since God said this, Noah included. What I think it means is that our average life expectancy will never exceed 120. Thankfully, if we find grace and favour with God through Noah's Descendant Jesus crucified on our behalf, God's patience with us doesn't have an expiry date, but endures for eternity.

'Heavenly Father, when we consider this verse, we find it amazing that you would choose to take up residence amongst us by your Holy Spirit for eternity. May we trust in Christ crucified for eternal life, now and forevermore, in his name we ask this, amen'.

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