I find that starting my day reading scripture is something that I have missed doing. While I do read and study scripture regularly, having the accountability with others is a nice support and starting with my readings is comforting. One week in and so far so good 🙂
The story that resonated with me this week is Noah’s (Genesis 6-10). God didn’t like what was happening in the world and was ready to get rid of everything. “God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil–evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he head made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, “I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds–the works. I’m sorry I made them” (Genesis 6:5-7, MSG). But then God saw Noah and like what he saw. Maybe he thought, “Now that Noah, he is something special.”
Isn’t that what we hope for? That God looks upon us and says, “Now that (insert name here) is something special.” Our country is a mess, the virus is killing thousands of people, and we are divided like we have never seen before. We feel helpless as we watch things unfold right before our eyes and think there is nothing that can be done. I imagine this may be something similar which caused God to want to destroy the Earth in the first place.
I am grateful that our Lord truly saw Noah. He saw that he was special and was the man who could help reclaim humanity by saving his family and two of every species of animal. A rainbow, which has no purpose, actually has great significance. “I’m putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life” (Genesis 9:15-17, MSG).
Today I give thanks for Noah and his family. He listened to God, built the ark and did as he was instructed. Do we listen as intently, Beloved, to the things that our God tells us?