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January 3

Today’s Bible reading is Gen. chapters 8-11.

We come to the end of the life and ministry of the patriarch, Noah. We read a fascinating story of how God made sure that the testimony of Himself and Noah reached around the world...by replacing the one and only language on earth, with many different languages...and scattering the people who built the Tower that came to be known as the Tower of Babel to the far reaches of the earth...for the spreading of the good news of God everywhere. And by the time you get there in the biblical record, Noah has been dead 350 years.

I can't help but imagine that Noah’s grandkids lined up for years to ask their granddad, “Tell us one more time about those 75 years it took you to build the ark that saved mom and dad and you and nana and the rest of the family from the terrible flood. And tell us some more details about the 378 days on the ark. It had to be hard...was it exciting?” And I can only imagine that the man who walked with God for so long, responded, “Let me tell you about what GOD did.”

“God came to me...I didn't come to Him. God told me what He was going to do in the world, and honored me by inviting me to join Him in the work. God gave me a job to do. Now listen closely...I didn't tell God what I could do for Him to help accomplish His purposes. I was quiet and attentive to His instructions. And with His help, I began and finished the work He called me to do with Him.

And when that task was over, God gave me another one to do with Him...and it may sound strange to you, but that next job was “to wait on Him” ...for what???

**to do what only He could do...**end the flooding.

And at the end of the flooding, God continued to “remember” me...(and the word “remember” means more than just recognizing my existence...it means that God kept His promise...He saved me and my family from His terrible judgment)...and you want to know something else?... God blessed me and mine even when I forgot Him.

What an awesome God we have!” And had Noah known the patriarch David, he might have shared these words that God gave to him:

Psalm 115:11-13 “O you who fear the Lord...trust in the Lord...He’s our hope and our shield...and He will always “remember” us ( be committed to us) and bless us...both great and small.”

What a foreshadowing of how God works in our lives today through Christ our Lord. He chooses us in Christ, and not the other way around. HE shows us favor (grace) to believe Him and follow Him with all of our heart. HE shuts us up with Himself (like He did with Noah when the flood began to rise)...when times of great stress begin to rise, He shuts us up with Himself so that we have to trust Him for the next steps. Oh, and HE causes the wind to blow, the wind of the Spirit who rejuvenates our hope for the future, whatever God plans.

Ezekiel speaks of the Big 3: Noah, Daniel, and Job. I think Noah would have deferred to his descendants: Moses, David, and Jesus, the God who made it all...the Lord who saves us through the cross and the resurrection to the uttermost. Thank you, Noah...Your life message inspires us to believe God...And today We will worship Jesus with you!