A Pristine Attitude
As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. Genesis 8:22
Sometimes I envy Noah. When he and his family left the ark, they entered a pristine world freshly washed by the grace of God. God told them to “come out of the ark … [and] be fruitful” (Genesis 8:16-17).
The first fruitful action Noah undertook was the construction of an altar on which he offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving. God accepted the “pleasing aroma” of 
Noah’s gratitude, then issued the covenant promise recorded in Genesis 8:22. Day has followed night and spring has followed winter ever since.
The world in which we live, however, is far from pristine. As one poet observed, it “wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell.”[1] No rainfall or snowfall can wash it clean. We’re unable to start over in a pristine world as Noah and his family did.
Nevertheless, the Bible tells us that God’s promises are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). And with that fresh start, God offers us an opportunity to awaken to a pristine day and walk into it with joy.
Some nights I climb into bed full of worry, frustration, and regret. When that happens, I ask the Lord to replace those poisonous emotions with his peace. The following morning, when I read his Word, he assures me of his faithfulness and power. His truth restores my soul.
It’s almost as if God says to me, “Come out of the ark, Denise. Leave yesterday behind. Use this day to be fruitful for my glory. Walk in the joy of my promises and share them with others. Offer me the sacrifice of your gratitude, and I’ll give you a pristine attitude washed clean by my grace.”
Do you tend to carry the smudges and smells of yesterday into today? God has given us the solution to that destructive habit. Spend time in his Word. Reflect on his promises. Listen to his assurances. Allow him to give you a pristine attitude each new day.
DIG DEEPER
Read Lamentations 3:1-26. Jeremiah had recently witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem. What enabled him to overcome his “bitterness and hardship” (v. 5) and embrace God’s “new every morning” promises (vv. 22-23)?
Read Hebrews 9:11-15. Why is Jesus the mediator of a new covenant? What has this new covenant provided for us?
Make a list of the psalmist’s reasons for praising God in Psalm 111. Can you praise God for the same reasons? Why?
Almost a century ago, Thomas Chisholm wrote the lyrics of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” one of Christendom’s most beloved hymns. He refers to Genesis 8:22 in the second stanza and to Hebrews 9:11-15 in the third stanza. To read the lyrics, go to https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/19.
A special feature of this gratitude series is a Word Search puzzle based on the featured Scripture verse. Download it here: Unchanging_God
Denise K. Loock
Note: This devotion is part of a series on Gratitude.
[1] Gerard Manley Hopkins. “God’s Grandeur.” Public Domain. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44395/gods-grandeur