Noah and the Ark

So I am still in Genesis...soaking up this chronological Bible reading plan. Right now I am sipping on the Marshmallow Lover's hot chocolate I got for Christmas and thinking about Noah. 

Genesis 6:5-6

"The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart."

This is the world in which Noah lived. A world that was "consistently and totally evil." And yet, we see in verse 8, "Noah found favor with the Lord."

What was it like to be Noah? Everything around him was evil. Every thought, every conversation, every deed was driven by impure motives and resulted in wickedness. So much so that God's heart was broken. God was in despair.

What was God thinking? The very reason he created earth...the reason he created time... the reason he hung the stars in the sky and created night and day...the very thing he breathed life into had turned against him. In verse 7 God says, "...I am sorry I ever made them."

After all of His time and effort to create life and a place for it to flourish...after he invested his own breath...He was so disgusted that what had been "very good" in Gen 1:31 had become, "consistently and totally evil" just 5 chapters later. 

I believe God was grieving, he was angry and hurt...to the point that he was ready to scratch it all. He would rather have none of it than to have a world bent on sin. 

But then, he remembered Noah...

Genesis 6:8-9

"Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. "

What was it like to be the only man on earth to have a relationship with the Lord. Was the persecution relentless? How difficult was it to raise a family to love the Lord? Did he even try to tell people about God? The Romans Road hadn't been written. There was no Sinner's Prayer. What was is like at work? Was he worried about who his kids were hanging out with? 

What did the Lord feel when he looked at Noah? Was he reminded of why he started the whole thing to begin with? Did he see potential? He must have seen something, because he wiped the earth clean except for Noah, his family and an ark full of animals. 

I hope he sees the same thing when he looks at me. I pray that I will live like Noah...righteously, blamelessly and in close fellowship with the Lord. 

Surefooted

I have taken a new approach to my quiet times. Some how they had ended up being about me...go figure. You know, my encouragement, my calling, my life...me, myself and I. So I made the decision to go spend time with God to learn about Him. No ulterior motives. Not seeking blessings, encouragement, or confirmation. I just want to be in His presence and learn more about His character.

This is not as easy as it sounds. That very same morning I read this:

Habakkuk 3:17-18

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Whew...try not applying that one to yourself! I was like "Oh no...will there be famine in my life, will I be starved spiritually, will I, will I, will I." Then I remembered my decision...this time is not about me. So I asked God, "what does this tell me about you?"

Habakkuk was a prophet of God, that means he was God's voice to the people. So if anyone was close to God at that time it had to be Habakkuk. Even though this verse paints a pretty bleak picture of what Habakkuk is suffering, or willing to suffer, it also shows how dedicated he is to serving God. He says "I will rejoice in the Lord."

God tests those who are close to Him to make them stronger. And what I learned about God, that day, is that He expects us to weather the circumstances by rejoicing in Him.

The cool thing about God is that He will never let you walk away empty handed...He gave me a little nugget for myself...what ever is going on in my life, even if it means I have absolutely no security for my future, He expects me to rejoice in Him, to praise Him, and to continue to serve Him. The last verse, Habakkuk 3:19 says, "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to climb the heights."

So find your strength in God, friends. Rejoice in Him no matter what you see, or don't see, ahead and He will make you as surefooted as a deer!

For these kids everyday is a step of faith.
I think they understand Habakkuk very well,
and thanks to Children's Cup they are
learning to rejoice in the Lord!

River of Love

Taken from a train on the way to Manchupiccu, Peru

Ephesians 3:18

And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

I can't help but think of God's majesty when I see His work in the world He created.

Being Refined

Thank you all for your prayers! I feel you all lifting me out of this. I am so grateful to have you all in my life!

God has really been speaking to me out of Isaiah..it is every where! It has been so good to find comfort in His word during this season. I read this devotion today...it has been one of many that have spoken directly to my situation this past week.

The verse was, Isaiah 48:10... "I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather I have refined you in the furnace of suffering."

This is the poem that accompanied the verse:

Pain's furnace within me quivers,
God's breath upon the flame does blow;
And all my heart in anguish shivers
And trembles at the fiery glow;
And yet I whisper, "As God will!"
And in the hottest fire hold still.

He comes and lays my heart, all heated,
On the hard anvil, minded so
Into His own fair shape to beat it
With His great hammer, blow on blow,
And yet I whisper, "As God will!"
And at His heaviest blow hold still.

He takes my softened heart and beats it;
The sparks fly off at every blow;
He turns it o'er and o'er and heats it,
And lets is cool and makes it glow;
And yet I whisper, "As God will!"
And in His mighty hand hold still.

Why should I complain? For the sorrow
Then only linger-lived would be;
The end may come, and will tomorrow,
When God has done His work in me;
And yet I whisper, "As God will!"
And trusting to the end, hold still.
-Julius Sturm

If that doesn't describe what I am going through I don't think any words would be able to. And so I have been whispering, "As God will!" And I will trust Him to the very end.

Feeling Forgotten?

It is possible to feel like you have been forgotten by God; however it is impossible to actually be forgotten by Him. You see, Isaiah 49:14-16 says,

“Yet Jerusalem says, ‘The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.’ Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palm of my hands.”

Our feelings change with the wind. Our emotions are ruled by our surroundings. Therefore, we should trust the Word of God above our feelings, above the emotions that try to overtake us.

This is a promise from God.

He will never forget us. He will never leave us. No matter how forgotten you feel. No matter how lonely, tired, isolated, or withdrawn you have been He has your name written on the palms of His hands. The same hands that hold the world.

So be comforted friends, as I have been, by these words. These promises are unchanging. They stand forever…yesterday, today and tomorrow.