Through The Bible in a Year - January 26, 2026

"I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood." – Genesis 9:11

Here's what should astound us as we read and hear these words of God - God makes His covenant promise right after Noah's family completely messes up.

They've just survived the flood—this family that's supposed to bring the world into a new creation without violence and evil. And what immediately happens? Noah gets drunk. Ham dishonors his father. There's brokenness, bitterness, addiction, and sexual sin in the very first chapter after their rescue.

If only God had known who He was rescuing. If only He'd known what Noah would do.

He did know. He knows the end from the beginning. And He gave them refuge anyway.

This is a God who establishes a covenant with His people, not on the condition that they, or we, measure up, but because He says: "I will be faithful even to a faithless people. I will make a prior commitment to people I know will mess up."

Why do we need to know this? Because we mess up. We come through the crisis thinking, "If God just brings me through this, I'll never sin like that again." And then we do. The struggle returns. We fall again.

But God says, "I will not fail you. I am a covenant-keeping God."

Respond: What sin or failure are you convinced disqualifies you from God's love? Hear this today: God knew about it before He saved you, and He chose to make a covenant with you anyway. His covenant is not based upon your qualification, but upon His mercy. His faithfulness doesn't depend on your performance.

Prayer: Covenant-keeping God, I am amazed that You knew everything I would do—every failure, every sin, every broken promise—and You chose to save me anyway. Thank You for Your faithfulness when I am faithless. Help me to rest in Your covenant love, not my wavering performance. Help me to believe this because of Jesus. He came for me when I was a sinner. So, I pray in Jesus' name, amen.