Genesis8:1-3 - Then God remembered Noah, and every living
thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And
God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The
fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain
from heaven was restrained. And the waters receded
continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters
decreased.
The flood continued for 150 days. Noah and his family…and all those animals
were floating around in that ark for around 5 months. The daily routine must
have been hard…8 people to thousands of animals that had to be fed and cared
for every day. No modern conveniences…no bathrooms…no kitchen to cook in…no
showers…and remember that there was only 1 window.
I found myself reflecting on the choices they did have….to
feel trapped in that ark…or to see it as the gift it was from God. We aren’t
told what any of their feelings were …but we do know that Noah had a peace and
trust that would have lasted as long as God had left him in that ark. He knew
that at some point God would open the door that he had shut…and use the living
things he had saved to repopulate the earth.
It gives me a whole new perspective on the importance of
waiting on God. Noah went in the ark on command from God…and Noah waited on God
to tell him it was time to leave. He waited for the ark to settle on the
mountain to lift the covering…what hope that must have brought to the contents
under that roof. He could see the water receding… he even sent out birds to
gauge just how much dry land there might be to live on…but he did not leave
that boat till God told him too.
I admit that I am no Noah.
I give up…get impatient…even hurry ahead of him sometimes. I make things
harder on myself because I am not very good at waiting. I needed the reminder
that God has the master plan…and I need to be more trusting of his timing. It’s
okay to research and send out a few birds…just to see what might be in the
future….but I need to learn to listen for that command to go …before I jump
into any future plans.
Father…thank you for the reminder that you have the only
master plan copy and I need to trust completely in your timing. Forgive me for
the times that I jump ahead of you…and try to do things before I hear those
clear commands from you. Help me to listen more deeply…and trust more
completely in your timing and plans for my life. Show me the path you need me to take and help
me to stay on course all the time. Amen.
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