After writing yesterday about God's invitation for Noah to come into the ark, I was blessed this morning upon entering the church I was playing piano at when I saw the stained glass above the entry door. Inscribed were these three words: Come Unto Me. I love the way the Bible is one complete book and what I am reading in the Old Testament can easily be tied into New Testament truths. Seeing that today as I walked into the church, was just a reminder to me that God calls us all to come to Him--even in this day and age. He is that ark of safety in which He invites us to come continually--and rest. Read the whole verse, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."(Matthew 11:28)
Another verse I came across this morning in church that I felt tied in well to the thoughts of Noah (and us) walking with God is Micah 4:5, "For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever."
Onto today's chapter, Genesis 8. Verses 1-2, "Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained." The storm was over. Finally. I have a friend who when she prays for people often says, "God, please remember so-and-so . . ." That is always a blessing to my heart that she prays for God to remember what they are going through and to help and bless that person. It has always reminded me of the song, "Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me . . ."
Genesis 8:21-22, "And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, 'I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.'"
God promises routine while earth remains. I can expect times of planting and times of harvesting in my life. I am seeing that now in my son--I took many years planting and investing in his life, now I am harvesting. It is nice after years of doing for him things he couldn't do for himself--prepare his own food, drive, wash his own clothes--that now he can! And he can also do these things for me! Wow!
I can expect cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night--there will be good times and there will be times in my life that feel like cold, winter, and night. It is important to remember the seemingly "bad" times will not last forever. Life is routine, cyclical. I need to remember that it is "normal" when what I deem as the "good" times don't last.
The first solo I ever sang in church was part of the children's song, "I Wonder How it Felt"--
I wonder how it felt to sleep with Noah in the zoo. I wonder what would come a lion or a smelly kangaroo. I'm just a child my life is still before me. I just can't wait to see what God has for me but I know that I will trust Him and I'll wait to see what life will be for me."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW6Rq7dalXU
(you'll have to listen to the end 2:35 to hear the verse about Noah!)
