A Work in Progress….

Genesis 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

This morning I am feeling a bit discombobulated. I woke up 20 minutes late (still not quite sure how that happened), and I’ve been struggling to metaphorically get my feet under me from the jump. However, once I finally stumbled to the door to let the dog out, I realized that it snowed. This is major news as I am not sure the last time I saw snow in my town.

Genesis 10:7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 

Because it snowed, we are on a two-hour delay at school, which means that even though I started today 20 minutes late, I won’t be late to work. Now, I don’t think God made it snow so that I wouldn’t be late to school since I was late waking up, but isn’t it cool the way that things just worked out?

Genesis 10:8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth.

Precious Savior, You know I stress and fret about so many things–like what happened that I overslept by 20 minutes this morning. Thank You that even though this day started off a little rocky, You reminded me of Your presence, Your goodness, Your glory. Thanks for the reminder, and thanks for the snow. It’s beautiful. Help me be mindful of Your mercy as I go through this day. Amen.

Genesis 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 9:16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

I love seeing a rainbow. It does remind me that God keeps his promises, but I think it is the ethereal, fleeting nature of the rainbow that makes it so special. You never know when you will see it or how long it will last. Sometimes it seems to go all the way across the sky. Sometimes it’s just a small section. Sometimes there’s a double rainbow. It’s magical in that I can’t count on seeing it, but I always get excited when I do see one. Pictures are involved.

Genesis 9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

But after yesterday’s reflection, maybe I can use the rainbow as a reminder to me of my end of the covenant: Love God, love others. It’s that last part that can be difficult–loving others. Not judging, not condemning, not gossiping. Just loving. Maybe I can use the rainbow’s appearance to remind me not only that God keeps His promises but that He expects me to live up to my end of the deal as well.

Genesis 9:18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)

Precious Savior, I am so grateful that You love me unconditionally, warts and all, faults and all, shortcomings and all. Forgive me when I try to put conditions on those whom I love. Help me to love others as You love me–unconditionally. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 9:19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth. 

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 9:8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 

Why did God make this covenant? Did he regret the flood? Did He think that wiping everything out took care of the corruption of the pre-flood earth? Commentary assures me that He did not feel He acted too harshly but that He had taken measures that the pre-flood evils could never be “precisely duplicated.” Commentary also assures me that the next time the world gets out of hand, God uses fire, not flood, thus adhering to His promise.

Genesis 9:9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 

I do not believe in a God who plays semantic games, a God who promises never to wipe out the earth again because He has assured conditions can never be “precisely duplicated”, a God who switches to fire instead of flood so that He can keep His promise; therefore, I am left floundering a bit here. God’s not fickle. He’s not weak. He’s not cruel. So what’s going on?

Genesis 9:10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 

Precious Savior, There is so much I do not understand in this world, so much that I do not understand about You. Thank You that I can seek and question, that I can draw closer to You in my questioning, that I know who You are and who You are to me, regardless of the things I do not understand. Amen.

Genesis 9:11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 9:4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 

The daily devo that I read each morning featured Psalm 118:24 this morning: “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This is a verse that has been on my mind and my heart quite a lot lately as it is one that I sometimes have a hard time embracing.

Genesis 9:5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

I think outwardly, I’m rather an optimist, typically looking on the bright side. But at my core, unfortunately, I have found that there is a lugubrious Eeyore at the gate, who is always a little down, a little negative. I don’t like that side of myself. I would much rather rejoice in this day that the Lord has made.

Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

Precious Savior, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You. Help me to either make peace with my inner Eeyore or to root out that side of myself so that I can rejoice in each day that You have made. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 9:7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 

I don’t know how I missed the similarity between God’s words to Adam and Eve in the garden and God’s words to Noah when he was exiting the boat, but I absolutely did. Until commentary pointed out the almost identical words, it never even occurred to me.

Genesis 9:2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 

And now I’m left wondering what to do with that information, what does it mean exactly. Noah is the new Adam? That doesn’t sit well somehow. God’s going to try again, using exactly the same words to Noah as to Adam? Take 2? That doesn’t seem logical. What am I missing?

Genesis 9:3a Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the sense of questioning, sense of wonder with which I am approaching Your word as I read it this time. Thank You that words I’ve been familiar with since childhood can bring me new questions and curiosities. Help me to sit with Your word, to question and seek, to draw closer to You with each breath. Amen.

Genesis 9:3b Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 8:20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 

The first thing Noah does after he gets off the boat is sacrificed an offering to God, an offering that pleased the Lord. I’m going to speculate that it was an offering of praise and thanksgiving.

Genesis 8:21a The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. 

I can learn a lot from that because I know that in every trial there is hope, there are things to be thankful for because God is with us in every trail, and that fact, His presence with us, is absolutely worth celebrating.

Genesis 8:21b And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 

Precious Savior, I feel like my words of encouragement sound trite, and I don’t mean for them to. I have been in valleys where Your presence is the only light I see. I have held on to Your hope with both hands. Help me, help us all, to see You, to praise You, to hold on to Your hope, no matter our circumstances. Amen.

Genesis 8:22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

Have a blessed day.