Grief in the Heavens

Date: Sunday, January 4, 2026

Genesis 6 is heavy. It describes a world so saturated with wickedness and violence that it ‘grieved God to His heart.’ Let that sink in. God isn’t a detached cosmic observer; God feels the weight of our depravity. The ‘sons of God’ and the ‘Nephilim’ remind us that there’s a spiritual dimension to our mess that we often overlook. We think our problems are just political or social, but there’s a deep-seated darkness that can only be answered by a radical intervention. Noah found favor, not because he was perfect, but because he walked with God in a generation that had walked away.

Contrast that cosmic grief with the intimate peace of Psalm 4. The Psalmist is under pressure, people are turning his honor into shame, and yet he says, ‘In peace I will both lie down and sleep.’ How? Because God has put more joy in his heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. Genesis 6 shows us a world that deserved to be wiped out, yet Psalm 4 shows us a God who is willing to listen to the individual cry of a distressed soul.

We live in a Genesis 6 world that is chaotic, violent, and often grieving the heart of God. It’s easy to get swept up in the anxiety of it all. But the invitation today is to find the favor that Noah found: the grace to walk with God even when the flood is coming. It’s the ability to sleep soundly, as Psalm 4 suggests, because our security doesn’t depend on the state of the world, but on the state of our soul before the Creator.

Devotional Prompts:

How does the fact that God grieves over sin change your perspective on your own small sins?
In a culture that is increasingly violent in its rhetoric and actions, what does it look like for you to walk with God like Noah?
What keeps you awake at night? How does Psalm 4:8 challenge that anxiety?
Noah found favor (grace). Where have you seen God’s unmerited favor in your life recently?

Prayer: Lord, my heart is often troubled by the darkness I see in the world and in myself. Give me the grace to walk faithfully with You today and the peace to rest securely in You tonight. Thank You for Your favor that sustains me. Amen.