Noah endures forty days of rain

       March   7

Read Genesis 7:17-24; 9:8-15 and reflect on the passages.

The story of Noah's ark is one of the Most familiar Bible stories. Depictions of it grace everything from baby nursery bedding to decorative accents. And yet, if we focus only on the flood, it could be one of the most discouraging stories of the Bible.

However, within the narrative of Noah’s Ark, we have not only the story of the flood, but the rainbow as a promise to never flood the earth again. Also within this account, we have a display of one of the great tensions about our Lord: He is both a God of justice, sovereignty, and righteousness as well as a God of compassion, mercy, and love.

If we focus solely on the sinfulness that lead to the destruction of the flood, we can miss the rainbow and God’s covenant of hope.

And so it is with our own personal narrative and with this Lenten journey that we have a choice: we can fix our eyes on the catastrophe of sin or fix our eyes on the great promises of a risen King who has overcome and given us power and authority as we trust in Him.

Questions

1. How can you remember to fix your eyes on the Lord today?

2. What aspect of God’s creation reminds you of God’s faithfulness to us?

Prayer

Gracious God, thank You for giving us the choice of where to fix our eyes, hearts, and minds. Help us to choose wisely! Amen.

—Jessica Efird

Judgment of the Flood - Genesis 7-9

God waited for generations. Evil escalated out of control and became widespread. All people on earth, judged guilty of their sins, were destroyed by God. Hope remained with only one man. God protected Noah and his family from the judgment of the flood.

God told Noah and Noah’s offspring, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.” (Gen 8:21) God recognized people would continue to do evil.

Through Noah and his descendants, God sets in motion a plan to help prevent people from reaching the depths of evil they reached before the flood. Judgment happened then hope shined through the darkness.

It is distressing to see evil and its consequences continue to worsen around us today. Murder is escalating in our communities. Marriage vows and commitments are easily set aside. Persecution of Christians is happening around the world. Attempts to explain or discuss increasing immorality are filled with doom and gloom.

I hang on to God's hope, not the doom and gloom of a sinful world. There is safety and deliverance in God’s promise. I am blessed when I witness God's patience and continued work through circumstances and people everyday. He is certainly patient with my shortcomings. I feel Him molding and making me a better person through my temptations, failures and difficulties!

When I catch sight of a rainbow I see the hope that God offers. I pray you see it, too.

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Promises, Promises Genesis 9

We live in a world where people go back on their word. Husbands and wives betray each other, children lie to their parents. Co-workers and friends betray one another to get ahead. It’s hard to know who to trust. So often those in authority hurt their subordinates to make an extra buck or cover a mistake they made.

As I read today’s passage I can’t help but compare those around me to people in scripture. We see Noah and his family starting life over again after God destroyed the earth because of its evil ways. All of creation is gone and it’s up to a few people who are given a second chance, to do it right. I don’t know about you, but I would be a bit paranoid. I would feel extreme pressure to not screw up.

God must have known that Noah needed some reassurance too, because he makes a promise to Noah. He promises to never destroy the earth with a flood again. This is a promise Noah can count on. He knows God won’t go back on his word. So the next time is starts to sprinkle Noah can jump in the puddles and in the boat.

God keeps his word. Remember that the next time someone betrays you. We worship a God who will never go back on his promises. Life will have its struggles, but we can count on a faithful God.

Read today entire passage on Biblegateway.com Genesis 9