Tuesdays with Jesus #171

#171  "Mister Man"

September 28, 2010

"Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God". (Genesis 6: 9)

 

When I found out that his parents were planning to call him "Noah Daniel", I began praying, almost daily, the words of Genesis 6:9 over my grandson. His parents would call him Noah. I already knew that I would call him "Mister Man".  It sounds silly, I know, but it felt so right to my heart.

Many of you know that on the very day Mister Man was to be born, we lost him. A multitude of unforeseen problems collided, and he breathed his last breath in my daughter's womb.

I thank God continually for each and every one of you who connected with us in some way to express your love and concern for my family. It truly was a visible manifestation of the love of God through human hands and feet.

My prayer was that Mister Man would grow to be just like his namesake, the very first Noah. A righteous man. Blameless among the people of his time. More than success or wealth or popularity or fame, I longed for him to be a man that walked with God.

Noah was a righteous man. Various translations use the words, "just, godly, good and upright". My absolute favorite rendering is "innocent". Noah was innocent. Is there a more perfect word to describe Mister Man than "innocent"? We could debate the theology of original sin and our inherent wickedness as human beings right here, but I can say with pretty good certainty that Mister Man was as innocent as they come. He never hated anyone. He never did something out of selfish motives. He never stole, or lied, or cheated. He never felt the burning of lust, or ever gave in to the acts of the sinful nature. Noah was a righteous man. A good man. An innocent man. And so was our Mister Man.

Noah was blameless among the people of his time. Transliteration reveals that Noah was without blemish, flawless, perfect and once again, innocent, among his contemporaries, those living in the generation contemporary with him. The first Noah's generation was described as "wicked, every inclination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil all the time, and God was grieved that He had made man on the earth". (Genesis 6: 5-6) Not unlike the present world that we live in.  Noah lived a godly life in the midst of an evil world. Mister Man was never touched by that world. He was never bullied. No one will ever slice him with the sword of a hurtful word.  He never felt the sting of injustice. He never looked prejudice in the eye. There wasn't a hateful bone in his body. He never saw the hopelessness of poverty. He will never suffer sadness, or feel a tear borne from heartache roll down his cheek. He remains unscathed and untouched by a world filled with wickedness. "Devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death". (Isaiah 57: 1-2) Noah was blameless among the people of his time. Our Mister Man was spared from the evil that saturates the land of the living.  He will always and forevermore only know peace and rest.

Noah walked with God.  "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord". (2 Corinthians 5:8) Mister Man walks with God. He looks into the eyes of the One I long to see. He feels the embrace of the arms that I long to cradle me. He hears the voice of the One who speaks to me in my spirit. Oh, how like a beautiful symphony that must be. Love so amazing, so divine, so unfathomable, is being lavished upon him by the very One whose Name is Love Himself. As they walk, his hand is held by the very hand that bears the scar of His sacrifice for the sin of the world. Noah walked with God. Mister Man walks with God, with my Jesus, this very day.      

Gigi loves you so much, Mister Man. So, so much!

This grandmother's  prayers were answered after all.

 

With much love,

Donna

www.livingthewordministries.org

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