A parent dies. Friends part. Your husband dies unexpectedly. A brother dies. Friends move or die. Life is full of change and this often means beginning again. Noah experienced this in an extreme way. In Genesis 6:5-8 we learn that God brought a destructive flood because of the wickedness of man and their evil imagination. Noah was directed by God, after years of building the ark and being mocked, to get on board the ark, as seen in Genesis 7. God closed that door on him and his family! Noah listened to the rain fall and heard the screams of people drowning, and yet, he trusted God in the midst of the flood!
When God wipes the slate clean, He is thorough. Sometimes, God in His great mercy leaves a well-planned foundation to help us begin again (especially true when we obey His guidance and direction). After the rains “God remembered Noah, and every living thing…in the ark” Genesis 8:1. God never forgot Noah on that ark and God will not forget you! God hears the cry of His people in pray and Psalm 25 is a great example if you want God’s blessing in your life. God is perfect, wise and loving in and through His omnipotence.
Even after the torrent subsided, it took months for the mountaintops to become visible to Noah and his family. Changes in life can be abrupt, catastrophic and trials often involve waiting with a great deal of uncertainty. Can you imagine being on that ark? I don’t know about you, but at times, I can only see the storm that surrounds me. It can be difficult to be patient when people are rude, inconsiderate, misunderstand, or are desperately trying to hold on to something in order to control their lives! We can all tend to do this at times; instead we need to remember to trust God, pray, let go, and ahh… yes peace again.
Noah released a raven and later sent a dove out three times at seven day intervals as noted in Genesis 8:6-12. Finally the dove brought back an olive leaf to Noah (v.11) Olive trees have an excellent root system, enabling them to survive in difficult environments; however, they require much care and attention to grow well (this is one reason for the Olive Tree in our Logo). You want to recover from a dramatic experience, trial, loss, or maybe even failure? For me, being rooted in the bedrock of Christ’s precious cleansing power and a daily walk with Him is where He tends to my life (and yours too, if you allow HIM)!
Second chances can be cause for both hope and sorrow. One may not be able to perfectly reconcile God’s justice or His mercy; however, if you allow Him to grow you, this spiritual maturity will increase your peace. How about you, are your growing, being pruned, or starting over? “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples”John 15:8. We are all at different stages of life and sometimes this requires pruning and sometimes starting over. You can embrace what God has for you and grow; or you can desperately try to hold onto what is not yours to begin with and have no peace.
Rahab Refuge Ministries 