Have you ever made a promise to someone or had a loved one make a promise to you? Has someone broken a promise to you or have you broken a promise to someone else? I have made promises and with many good heartfelt intentions meant to do what I say, but I have often fallen short. One thing I love about God is how faithful He is. When He makes a promise I know He will keep His word. How I want to be faithful like Him. Let’s take a look at the first promise God made to man.

“But I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” Genesis 6:18 (NASB)

This is the first place in the Bible where we see the word Covenant used.

Dictionary.com defines covenant here as a verb. Covenant (verb): to promise by a covenant: pledge.

God made a promise to Noah. He was going to save him and his family from death and destruction, but He goes further than that after the flood is over.

 Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:  I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:8-17 (ESV)

God is making a covenant with Noah, his family, and every living thing on the earth. I believe this Covenant is the only one where God pledges not to do something. This covenant still stands for us today. God will never destroy the earth with waters of a flood again. God has kept His promise to us.

Here, He also gave us a sign. I find it interesting the way God talks about the sign. He made the rainbow to remind us of this promise but He also says that when he brings the clouds over the earth, and the rainbow is seen in the clouds, He will remember His covenant. He will see it and remember the everlasting covenant.

Being the deep thinker I am, I begin to think about why God would need reminding of this.

As I look around at the world today, I imagine God can be tempted to want to destroy us again. God has His perfect timing about it all, and He doesn’t do things too soon or too late. Just like God was disheartened with the people in Noah’s day and the ways they were turning their backs on Him and allowing their hearts to be hardened and filled with evil, He must feel that way today.

I know as a parent there have been days when I feel like I could say or do things to my children that I have promised I wouldn’t do or say. There are days when I want to shut the door and send everyone somewhere. I look around, and I am discouraged by it all. I can’t imagine how God’s heart feels. When the kids were younger, I would put scripture reminders around the house so I would remember the kind of mom I wanted to be but most importantly the mom that God wanted me to be. I would look at those scriptures when I was tempted to say and do things that would have gone against that.

I am thankful God is a man of His word! He is faithful! I want to live like that in my marriage, in my parenting, in ministry and friendships. I want my word to mean something, and when I make a promise, I want people to know I will fulfill that.

Lord, I am thankful for the covenant You made to Noah, his family and to every living creature on this earth including us. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your example. May we live this out in our lives and our relationships. In Jesus Name. Amen!