Have you ever hurt, cut deeply, grieving in your heart? Maybe it was the loss of a loved one, perhaps over a marriage that ended in divorce. Our hurt, our grief cannot compare to pain and agony that God felt before the Flood:

“And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at His heart.” (Ge 6:6)

The Hebrew word for grieved (‛âtsab )means to be in severe pain, or it causes great pain. Another meaning is to fabricate-fashion the heart. Can you imagine the grief associated with carving/fabricating in your heart – the pain, agony, and worry over something or event? It never seems closer to us than when we lose a loved one. My dad has been gone for 28 years. I have carved into my heart the remembrance of him. Of all the good that he was and, of course, the death, he died. Boundless joy takes place over one who has dedicated their life to the Lord; their passing is their final reward. I am confident my dad’s reward is eternity with God. For that, I am filled with joy! But, I also grieve over the loss of a man that died too soon.

I know everyone who reads this has experienced grief, and my prayers go out to you. However, this is not about my loss; I only mention it to help you understand the agony of grief in the heart when one dies. However, I want you to see and understand that when the Lord of creation grieves, it is because of greater loss than anyone can comprehend.

If you go back to Genesis 6 and read verse 6, you see God is grieved to His heart over the evil of humankind. Note this from Ge 6:5 – “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Every thought of humankind was evil.”

Man’s thoughts and imagination were focused on evil all the time. All that humankind could conjure up was evil, malicious, and destructive.

Aren’t you glad that we serve a merciful God? Chapter 9 of Genesis God blesses Noah and his sons and tells them to be fruitful and multiply. While He “repented,” regretted that he made man and destroyed humankind in the Flood (Gen.7:17-24). God did save Noah, and those in the ark. Why was anyone saved? Wasn’t all of humankind’s thoughts toward evil?

Two crucial factors in God’s mind toward Noah; first, he was righteous and walked with God verse 9 of Genesis 6. Second, Noah did all that God commanded him to do verse 22 of Genesis 6. Bookends to a life well-lived.

Fast forward to August 2021. Do you suppose God is grieved today over the continuous desire of evil that humankind has? He no doubt does. However, His abundant grace and love for all of us sent His Son, God incarnate, to this earth to endure the ridicule and savagery of the cross. As His obedient followers, we can rest in the knowledge that while Satan may have the footstool, God has the throne!

I know there are times in my own life that I am displeasing to our Father in heaven. The apostle Paul had this to say in Romans 7:24 – “Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?” And in Romans 8:2 – “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.” 

I am so grateful that Jesus can and does save me when I am in Him (Gal.3:27; Ro.6:23)

I do not know when Jesus will come again to call us home. I will be patient while waiting for that day to come. The promise of eternity with God knowing that He will wipe away all tears, that no sadness will be in heaven, that no grieving of the heart will be present helps my grieving heart while on earth.

Remember this passage – “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev 7:17)