As I read through this account today, I imagined how a small group of people on a boat with tons of animals could survive for a year! It had to be God. The logistics of this whole adventure seem a bit grueling, and I don’t want to spend much time speculating on all of the “details.”
We know that other traditions also have a great flood story, but ours is Biblical. God was making a move to fix what had gone wrong. His creation had disappointed him. The time had come to start over. The flood was not just some quirk of nature, but a means to an end. A plan devised by God, the creator. God had great intentions, and Noah was the one chosen to be in the right place at the right time.
I have to applaud Noah for his faithfulness. Even more so his family. They were along for the ride because of their relationship with Noah. We have not heard whether Noah’s wife or his sons and their wives were as faithful and God-fearing as Noah. If they weren’t, this year of their life would probably have been unbearable. Even if truly walking with God like Noah, there had to be tense moments. That’s real life.
We may not be trapped on a boat with a herd of smelly animals for a year, but we are going through some sort of trial. While our struggles may not necessarily be a mission for God or at his request (like Noah’s), but we do know that God is with us and God can use every situation. We need to persevere and keep our eyes fixed on the promises of God. Where do we see God working in all of this?
He will never leave us. He loves us. He died for us. He is our strength and shield. He is our comforter. He is our friend. He is…(fill in the blank, I could go on and on).
Sometimes I hear of people going through something horrible in their life. My first response is…let’s pray about that. When later reflecting, I will quietly turn to praise and thanksgiving to God for my own struggles seem to shrink in comparison. It’s odd how when my problems seemed dwarfed by those of others, my own gratitude is even stronger. We are not thankful for the trial but for what it will teach us. No matter what we are going through, we are not alone. We may feel alone. We need to remember who is in control.
Thank God today for your giving you the strength for another day, the will to persevere despite the hardship. If you are in a place of celebration and in between crises – thank God for that, too. Look around and see who may need an encouraging word from you today. Reach out and share the love of God.
Let’s pray. Lord, we are all on a journey toward you. We are each just in a different place along the way. Lord, I thank you for my struggles and I thank you that you are working inside me to get beyond them. Help me to stay strong and to persevere when the going gets rough and the way unclear. It’s mostly that, the path being cloudy. I want to see with total clarity the plan you have for me. I don’t want to just spin my wheels in my own little world. I’m waiting on you, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
