Lessons from Noah - Jewell Utt
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark. And He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Genesis 8:1
But God remembered Noah? Had he forgotten about Noah along the way? Did distractions cause God to forget His own plan for Noah’s life?
Most people recognize the phrase forty days and forty nights as The Great Flood. The time period God sent rain to the Earth to destroy every living thing. EXCEPT, Noah and his wife, his three sons and their wives, AND…every living creature in pairs.
When I reflect on it I think, Yeah, I could spend forty days with my family, hang out, have some laughs. BUT, forty days is only how long it rained. From the time God closed the door of the ark, to the time they walked out onto Mount Ararat, it was over a year. They were on the ark, together, with the animals for approximately 370 days. And suddenly, family time has lost its appeal.
I wonder what the living conditions were like: the smells, the day to day interaction, the fear of uncertainty, the nerves. Then I remember this was a house made by God. He was so specific in the construction of the ark, I believe He planned for every little detail. How they would eat, drink, bathe, and care for the animals. The space required to allow for breathing room. The ark was large enough to provide places of solitude. They had work, they had rest, they had escape. But most of all they had life.
God did not forget them, but provided salvation and abundance. Genesis 7:24 says: The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. Then, they had to wait for the Earth to dry out. When Noah, his family, and the animals finally disembarked, Noah sacrificed a burnt offering to God. He was grateful. How many of us would have reacted in this manner? In an overly dramatic gesture, I probably would have fallen down, kissed the ground, and thanked God for rescuing me from the bugs and the smell.
There are times we believe God has forgotten us and abandoned His plans for our future. The story of Noah is a great reminder of all the details needed to execute a good plan. God knows them all. He provides for our needs, while He prepares the land to receive our offerings. It’s up to us to remain focused on the big picture.
God has entrusted each of us with special gifts. Our part is to develop them as good stewards until the fullness of time has come. When He calls us to put them to perfect use. May we be as Noah, grateful for the life God has given us.
