A Work in Progress….

Genesis 7:5 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.

In the span of 10 verses in Genesis 7, the number 7 is mentioned four times.  Noah is told to take seven pairs of clean animals, seven pairs of birds, this will happen in seven days, with a reminder that it was seven days before the rains started. That seems a lot to me.

Genesis 7:6-7 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 

The number 7 is seen as meaning completion and perfection in the Bible. But sometimes it’s just a number. Were the repetitive sevens in Genesis 7 a message to Noah? A sign of hope for him and his family? A message to us that God was going to right what he saw as a “cosmic wrong” with humanity and all would be well? Is it just a coincidence that so many 7s appear in this section?

Genesis 7:8-9 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 

Precious Savior, Sometimes the number 7 serves as a reminder from You of perfection and completeness, that You are sovereign and in control. Sometimes it’s just a number. Regardless of how it is used in this passage, thank You for using it to draw us closer to You through study and prayer. Help us seek to draw closer to You daily. Amen.

Genesis 7:10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 6:19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.  

I have a difficult time with change. It frustrates me that even a change in schedule gets me a little wound up, causes me to worry about various things (all of them unnecessary, I’m sure). I cannot even imagine being Noah in this situation. However, it seems like Noah took it all in stride. According to v22, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

Genesis 6:20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.

I can learn a lot from Noah in this situation: When God calls us to something, even something big, there is no need to fret and worry. All we need to do is do the work. His mercies are new every morning. His grace is sufficient for us. Worry and fret do nothing for Him or His kingdom (and nothing positive for us, either), so I must figure out a way not to fret and just do the work.

Genesis 6:21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

Precious Savior, Thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, exactly as I am. Help me to manage the side of me that worries and frets, especially when change is involved. Help me to focus on You in all situations, to do the work You set before me. Help me to loosen my grip on my love of routine, so I can shine Your light more easily. Amen.

Genesis 6:22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him. 

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 6:17a I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. 

Can you imagine how Noah must have felt during this time? Anguish that the earth was going to be destroyed. Relief that his family would be spared. Worry about the task being placed before him. Maybe doubt that any of this was actually real. God asking him to build a boat because a flood was coming…eventually? Seriously?

Genesis 6:17b Everything on earth will perish. 

Today’s scripture reminds me of a scene in the movie “Evan Almighty” where a reporter asks the protagonist, “What makes you so sure God chose you?” Evan’s response? “He chose all of us.”  I know that there have been plenty of times that I doubted what I felt called to do. I didn’t feel strong enough or capable enough or in any way the right person for the job. But God has called each of us in a unique way to serve His kingdom.

Genesis 6:18a But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—

Precious Savior, The fact that You have a job for each of us in Your kingdom, something special that You created us uniquely to do, that is such a beautiful gift. Thank You. Help us, when we are scared, not to doubt Your call in our lives. Give us the strength to shine for You. Amen.

Genesis 6:18b ….you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with
you. 

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 6:13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 

One of my favorite stories to tell is how I met my husband. It involved 14 interviews across the state, a conversation with a sort-of-friend from college whom I hadn’t talked to in years, a job offer I wasn’t really excited about, a follow-up conversation with said friend, when I’m sure she didn’t really care, a mention of a guy she knew in college who was from the town where I ended up and she *thought* he went back there to teach, finally meeting said guy and saying as first words, “I’ve been looking for you” to this man whom I’ve now been married to for 27 years.

Genesis 6:14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 

My point? Sometimes God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes He seems to be telling us to do things that make no sense–though I’ll admit in my case what He was telling me made no sense because it was absolutely not what *I* had planned for my life. But here I am, all these years later, with a beautiful family, friends I love, and a career that I have really enjoyed, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Genesis 6:15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the plans You have for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future (Jer 29:11). Forgive us when we balk at Your plans–because we are scared, because we have other ideas, because we aren’t listening. Help us to seek You and see You, to listen for You and actually hear You. Help us to root ourselves in You and be open to Your plans for our lives. Amen.

Genesis 6:16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 6:9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 

Much of my devotional reading and studying this week has served to remind me that 1. God is with me. Always. 2. He is still sovereign, still on His throne. His love is still eternal. 3. I need to focus on staying in the present moment instead of fretting about the past or the future. 4. I can put love, kindness, and goodness into this world daily. Those little acts go a long way to showing others Jesus’s heart.

Genesis 6:10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Here’s the thing: This world is not my home. I cannot get too comfortable here because I’m not staying for eternity. (Thank You, Jesus!) I cannot shut my eyes to the problems of the world. I have an obligation to try to make things better, to try to walk others home and ease their burdens, but I cannot allow myself to be lost in the despair that can so easily overtake us at any given moment because of so many different situations.

Genesis 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.  

Precious Savior, Help me cling to Psalm 71:14, “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” Help me to project Your love, goodness, hope, grace into this world. Help me not to allow myself to be swallowed up in despair, no matter the situation. Help me never to forget You reign eternal. Thank You. Amen.

Genesis 6:12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 

Today’s verses are not filled with good news. “[T]he thoughts of the human heart [were] only evil all the time,” “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth,” and “his heart was deeply troubled” show that humanity had hit rock bottom in what seems like a very short span of time. With the flood, He intends to wipe out everything and start over. That’s a lot.

Genesis 6:6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

But even in this troubling time there is reason for hope. Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord (v8). He didn’t *earn* favor. It was God’s gift to him. And because we know the story, we know the promise of the rainbow–that God will not wipe out humanity again. That is reason to hope.

Genesis 6: 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 

Precious Savior, Thank You for reasons to hope. Sometimes life seems dark, people are disappointing and selfish and self-serving, hope is in short supply. But You are always a reason for hope–Your love, Your grace, Your mercy. Thank You. Amen.

Genesis 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Have a blessed day.