January 3,
2018
Read: Genesis 6:1-9:17
Before we
began this new study, Sue has asked me if I would switch days with her this
week, which is why she posted yesterday, and I am here today. Now, I knew right away what chapters I would
be writing about and I have to say, I was very excited to have this
opportunity.
I have been
in a season of expectation. I discovered
I have had far too many expectations of other people and of myself, which has
left me with a great deal of emptiness.
And as much as I hate to admit it, my faith was beginning to look rather
small.
Early last
week I sat down with my iworship Bible and I read these chapters and I was
flooded with God’s blessing! (no pun
intended). God knows we are fearful of
the storms of life. Imagine Noah and his
family had never experienced rain before this 40 days and 40 nights of
rain. And a flood that demolished every
living thing except what was on the boat.
The next time the rain came, don’t you think they were afraid of what
may happen? A flood that would produce
the same kind of destruction?
God knew
they might be fearful, so in His mercy, He made a covenant, a promise, to Noah
and all the earth. In this covenant, God
promised unconditionally that He would never send another flood to destroy all
life on the earth.
Three times
God reiterated His promise to “never again” destroy the earth by such a
flood. After living through such a
traumatic experience, it seems God wanted to reassure Noah, so He graciously
repeated the promise. And He sealed it
with a sign.
As I read
these chapters and I saw how many times Noah obeyed the Lord, I was suddenly
overwhelmed with understanding that I got into the boat! I may be going through a storm in my life
right now, but I am obeying the Lord and sticking with Him and His plan. And God has hung up his bow. It isn’t pointing down towards you or me as
if He’s ready for battle. He’s left it
for us to see that although we may forget and lose our focus, He never
forgets. “When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal
covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” (9:16)
How have you
witnessed God’s faithfulness to you? How
are you worshipping God for His faithfulness?
