Genesis 8:1-22
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
“God had not forgotten Noah and all the animals with him in the boat; he caused a wind to blow and the water started going down.” -Genesis 8:1
We have and serve a GOD who is all powerful and yet mysterious! Everything under the sun is known by Him-right from the day of birth to death, be it good or evil. We may have had a bad start in life and gone through lots of ugly situations, but we eventually see ourselves following the Lord, submitting to His will and purpose that we have ignored in the past.
Human beings were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen.1: 29). After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, men chose to follow their own ways and hearts. But Noah chose to identify himself with the Master! Hence Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). Though man was given time to turn to God, he chose to ignore God’s plan and followed his. But the story of Noah shows us how God always remembers those who follow Him diligently and serve Him faithfully. At the fullness of time, when it was time for God to act according to His plan, He remembered Noah - when it was time for God to honour him and commission him for a dedicated task that would bring glory to His name.
Noah may not have studied Zoology to handle all those wild beasts of the field. But he had the fearless DNA of God implanted in him to carry out divine orders. He was neither a sea captain nor a weather forecaster. But he went through the plans of God patiently facing the challenges and coming out of it victoriously at the fullness of time.
As humans, we try to choose who we want to be, get trained or qualified to achieve that goal. But at the fullness of God’s time, He will open our eyes to a completely different direction that has nothing to do with what we may have learned. God uses several skills in preparing His selected servants for His tasks. For some, preparation may take many years without God announcing anything about His plan-neither giving any responsibility or task, but they are God’s leaders in training without them knowing it.
Moses was chosen by the Lord to bring His children out of Egypt, but this plan was never made public, neither to the Israelites, nor to the family of Moses. God’s preparation of Moses to lead His children was for him to go through a shepherd-caring training, lead sheep for many years in order to understand the stubborn nature of sheep, until the fullness of time at the burning bush experience when he was fully commissioned.
Times of training for the Lord’s service may be tough but patience and perseverance pays! For Noah, the long period of the rain and flood would have tested his patience but at the fullness of time the waters finally receded. This is a package that God has for all His servants—lets call them the spiritual-muscle-builder packages with diverse weights!! Though sometime challenging, but in the end its glory, glory Lord!
Impatience may occur, serving the Lord’s purpose may seem boring or burdensome at times- but the Lord is watching how and why we serve. We must wholeheartedly and sincerely dedicate ourselves without grumbling or seeing ourselves as the only deserving one. At the fullness of time He will surely set you aside for a great service for His glory. We must always remember this: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58)
Prayer: Lord GOD Almighty give me the strength to work for You and serve Your purpose on earth as long as I live. Amen