Land Ho!

As I have been reading Emmaus more Bible stories from his children’s Bibles, it is so interesting how they depict the flood in those books and also kid’s toys. It is always this big boat with lots of animals and everyone is smiling. The animals and boat are super cute and I think Emmaus even has a pair of pajamas with that. But can we all see the destruction of the flood that was brought. It isn’t a “G” rated cartoon but a “R” rated movie where people are killed, flood brings destruction, and just lots of really bad horror. So you can only imagine how Noah and his family felt on the ark. They are really excited that they were saved but also must have been devastated by the sight around them. Everything as they knew was now gone and they didn’t know when things would go back to normal

Read Genesis 8:1-19

They waited and waited until they finally saw the waters start to recede. After a long wait, there was the hope that the waters are starting to come down. Just put yourself in the mindset of the family, 150 days of watching the earth be filled with water. Each day you are wondering when things will return to normal. Then you realize that things will never be the same again.

God has given Noah, his family and all the animals on board the task of starting again. God is a God of second chances and we see here that he has given humanity another chance. Verse 15-17, “15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it." God gives Noah the instruction that we saw in the garden.

What a great story of grace and love! Then Noah sets up an altar to sacrifice to God. The aroma was pleasing to God and God establishes a covenant (promise) with humanity. We can hold on to that promise and know that God will always shower us with his grace and love.

Are you feeling like the floods and hardships are surrounding you? Are you waiting for when the waters will finally go away? You can trust that God will provide and his timing is perfect. Hold on to the hope that he will take the storms in your life away each day you just have to faithfully look towards Him. I love Noah’s action afterwards in which he remembered that God provided so he built an altar to show a heart of thanksgiving and centered on the one that provided for Him. We must remember to have that same attitude of thanksgiving to Him who provides and guides us.