Day 2

Our Need for a Savior

from the Because He Lives reading plan


Genesis 6:11-22, Genesis 8:13-22, Isaiah 54:1-10

BY Claire Gibson

Back in college, I was still of the mindset that if I behaved and performed well, God would reward me accordingly. And because I did the “right” things and got good grades, I assumed my post-college life would be smooth sailing. I expected that once graduation rolled around, I’d have a big plan—a big job—something I could tell people that would make their eyebrows go up an inch, showing that they were impressed.

But by March of my senior year, with just a couple months until the end of the semester and graduation looming, I still had no plans. The country was facing a recession. I had no job. No prospects. And I was angry at God, frustrated that I had no direction for the future, and convinced He had forgotten me. Slowly, my heart began to rebel against God, growing cold and guarded. I didn’t believe He cared about me, and so I withdrew from Him. In anger, I did all the things I knew in my heart weren’t His best for me. I would call them mistakes, except my actions were entirely intentional. I ran directly toward sin, only to end up feeling burned and ashamed.

The good news of Christ is so good because the bad news is so bad. And what’s the bad news? Not much has changed since the time of Noah. In Mark 7:21, Jesus told a crowd that what defiles a person isn’t from the outside, but what comes from the heart. All you have to do is turn on the news to see that evil still reigns in this world. But the worst of us comes from within. I have extreme memories that remind me of my wayward heart. I also have daily decisions, moments when I put aside my devotion to Christ and serve my whims, appetites, and desires.

My heart is a place of longing, doubt, and restlessness. I seek out quick comfort and distraction long before I seek God’s counsel and righteousness. I need a Savior, not to save me from sin out there. I need a Savior to save me from myself. The flood isn’t the world of other people. The most dangerous flood is the faithlessness of my heart. I need an ark. A hiding place. A safe haven from the deluge of my own desire and rebellion that would take me far from God.

God has given me such a Savior.

There is nothing I can do to remove His love from me. The door to the ark is always open. The covenant will not change. The destruction I deserve is not coming for me. “Though the mountains move and the hills shake, [His] love will not be removed from [us]” (Isaiah 54:10).

The good news is so good: Jesus is far better than any wooden boat that spares my life from external destruction. Jesus provides shelter and safety when the floodwaters of my own disobedience have risen too high for me to see. He takes me up in His arms and tells me there is no condemnation. Nothing can separate me from His love. Not even me.

Post Comments (111)

111 thoughts on "Our Need for a Savior"

  1. Margie Stevens says:

    It’s really amazing how much things can really affect us. Almost 6 years ago I thought my life was perfect. I had a husband I loved and adored (still do), we had just built a house and the future looked bright. Then, disaster struck. I had a quick out patient procedure that turned into a stroke and a two-month hospital stay. This has affected my family in ways I could never have imagined. I felt like God had abandoned me and I am still searching for him to come back and help me heal. I know the Bible says that he will never leave us and I know he is here with me and I will be healed on his schedule, not mine. He is never late, always on time.

  2. Kay Camacho says:

    I love this, it really touched my heart.

  3. Lacey Mollel says:

    What a powerful message. I am in need of an ark to save me from my own faithlessness. God you are so kind.

  4. Elizabeth Playo says:

    Is it coincidental that my prayer last night and this morning as I woke to a new day, that God take from me all of my bad habits. I turn to retail when I am feeling anxious, when I am feeling distraught, when I feel stressed, when I am bored. I have dug a financial hole for my family and I did this all on my own. I need a savior from myself. I decided this morning that instead of opening my Pinterest, LIKEtoKNOW.it, IG, Amazon, etc. Apps. I would start my mornings with the word of the Lord, and begin to take up any of my free time reading instead of shopping. And this beautiful message was here. God is so good to me! I know he will guide out of this!!

  5. Sarah Smith says:

    What my heart needed to hear this morning. Thank you!

  6. Rebekah McIntosh says:

    I feel like this one was written just for me. My husband and I lost our seventh baby last year and I thought that by now I had learned to handle it. But for some reason, this one was so hard. And I’ve been so angry and intentionally turning away from God for so long. This spoke to my heart. I need a Savior to save me from my own floodwaters ❤️

    1. Melissa Iris says:

      So sorry for your sorrow. Prayers for you and may God continue to guide you and comfort you.

    2. Alice R says:

      ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

    3. Kim Carroll says:

      Bless you, sweetheart.

  7. JeN S says:

    “I ran directly towards sin, only to feel burned and ashamed.” Wow, this piece of the devotional nailed it in regards to my past. While I am terrified of how much our world is letting down our Lord, I know that I have let him down so many times. At my own hand. Forgiveness of self is even harder than forgiveness of others for me. I am deeply comforted in the relationship I have with him now and strive to remove myself from sin and temptation and am so thankful that he washes our sins away each time we ask.

  8. Kelsey Faehl says:

    I have been struggling with bipolar disorder since high school and when I’m in my depressive episodes it’s hard to believe and trust that God is who He says He is. One thing my husband tells me is that God loves me even if I don’t believe it. That is so comforting to know that even I can’t separate myself from the love of God. Great reading today…I feel encouraged!

    1. Alice R says:

      ❤️❤️ absolutely. He’s got you even when you’re just hanging on by your toenails. Praying for relief for you. Having struggled with mental illness myself & with family members … i just read ‘the mood cure’ by Julia Ross. I found it really valuable. Well worth a read for anyone in that space xx

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