At the beginning of the year I started reading in Genesis. Have you ever wanted to read the Bible but you sit down and you think, where do I start? Psalms, Proverbs, New Testament, Old Testament, something I’ve read before, something I haven’t. Any amount of reading the Word is good, anywhere you start is good. Don’t let the enemy lie to you and say it’s not good enough.
So, when those thoughts started coming I decided to just start at the beginning (literally) and go from there. If I feel like I need to read another portion of Scripture, I will, otherwise, I’ll just continue from cover to cover.
As I was reading in Genesis 8 one evening something stuck out about the account of Noah. Now, if you’ve been in church for any amount of time the likelihood of you being familiar with the story of Noah is pretty good. Add to that the fact that I’m a children’s pastor and I’ve covered the story of Noah countless times. We always get a mental picture of animals walking onto an ark two by two, a rainbow, questions of the smell of the ark, and whatever other things come to mind. But this time something else stuck out.
“So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters and dried up from the earth. He also sent out form himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she retired into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried. Then God spoke to Noah, saying,”
Genesis 8:6-15
Noah opened the window.
Noah sent out the raven.
Noah sent out the dove.
He didn’t have a word directly from the Lord about how to proceed once the rain stopped, once that season was over. But he did what he needed to do, what “made sense”, I suppose. Noah didn’t know how long he would be in the ark. All he knew is that God is faithful. He knew God, waited on God, and trusted Him. He did exactly what God told him to do and worked in that until the time came. Then he did what he could. Once he went as far as he could, the Lord stepped in and gave direction.
Have you ever gotten so focused on “what’s next”? I have! It seems all I can think about lately is “what happens after these two years in Africa?!” I remember the same feeling after or during nursing school. We can do this with this week, this season, this situation. When God already knows. We need to just be faithful where we are, in what we are doing, and trust Him to lead.
I don’t have to have it all figured out, He already does. I just have to trust and work and grow closer to Him.
It’s easy to say, “Trust Him because He knows the plans.” But when it comes to walking it out it feels a little different. But why? Hasn’t He been faithful before? Hasn’t He provided before? Hasn’t He lead in every area and every decision before? Then He will again! And if you answered “ehhhh, weeeeell… I don’t know I’m not really sure if He did….” Then, my friend, it’s time to change things up, seek the Lord, get on your face in prayer, spend time fasting, get in the Word – He is speaking. Will we listen?
Journal Prompts:
1. Read all of Noah’s account in Genesis.
2. Journal what sticks out to you about this story, it may be different from what is mentioned above. That’s why His Word is living and active and what’s so amazing about it!
3. What is an area that you’re feeling like you have to have it all figured out? Write that situation down in your journal then write a prayer surrendering it to the Lord. As this situation comes to mind this week, think about Noah and how He worked and did what he could where he was until the Lord gave further instructions.
4. Write on separate index cards; God is Faithful. God will Provide. God is for me. and put them around your house as a reminder.