This week we’re looking at the story of Noah’s Ark. To read the story in its’ entirety, you can visit: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%206-9&version=MSG
You could summarize the story in this way:
God created the world and everything in it and said it was good.
But then God saw that humans were turning to evil ways and it was no longer good.
So God found a good and righteous man and said, “build a boat” and the man did.
God then ensured that all animal life would survive by having Noah gather them onto the boat.
God ensured humans would survive by having Noah and all his family join him on the boat.
And then it rained and rained and rained and rained and rained and rained.
Once the rain stopped, Noah sent a raven out as a way of discovering if the flood was over. And in due time, the raven did not return which meant it was safe.
Today, let’s think about creation. God created the world in 6 days, resting on the seventh, and said that it was good. But then it wasn’t good. And, if we look at the story in a literal way, God wants to wipe the slate clean by removing all the not-so-good that now thrived in the world, in hopes of starting fresh with only the good.
But if you read on, Genesis 8:20-21 where Noah builds an altar to God and God says, “I’ll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I’ll never again kill of everything living as I’ve just done.”
I’m wondering what your thoughts are on this.
In some ways, I’m reminded that we are created in God’s image, and here we have God realizing that what was done maybe wasn’t the best plan at all. That, regardless of wiping the slate clean, there is still the evil that lurks inside that can’t be erased. And God thinks on it, recognizes the significance and makes a promise to turn from that drastic reaction again.
There is a lesson of grace and forgiveness in this in a way. If God can do something, reflect on the impact, realize that people have this thing inside of them, and then make a promise moving forward… then maybe we can too.
There may be things or people in our lives where we have burned bridges, destroying the chance to rekindle a relationship/friendship or even something else. Have you ever taken the time to sit back and think on it deeply? Have you looked at the parameters and recognized what can or cannot change within all parties/things involved? Have you thought about making a promise to yourself or to others about how to move forward?
These questions may be hard to think about in this very moment, and if that’s the case, keep them in the back of your mind and see if anything arises for you.
What I love most from this story is that God truly understand us – that we will be good and we may be bad – but God will never turn away from humanity again. That God will do all he can to bring us back into the fold.
Here’s a song called “Forgiven” by one of my favourite Christian groups, Crowder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ZWEO36jok&feature=emb_logo
A prayer for us today:
God, we give you thanks for forgiving our transgressions, our faults, our flaws, and all the things we find wrong with ourselves. Thank you for accepting them as part of us and for never giving up on us. Help us to continue to be open in growing as humans, as people of this world, and as one of your beloved children. For those things that we hold onto that weigh us down, help us to forgive ourselves so that we can put that heavy weight down and move forward with you in making this world a better place. Thank you for your grace and your love. Keep us safe today O God. Amen.
You could summarize the story in this way:
God created the world and everything in it and said it was good.
But then God saw that humans were turning to evil ways and it was no longer good.
So God found a good and righteous man and said, “build a boat” and the man did.
God then ensured that all animal life would survive by having Noah gather them onto the boat.
God ensured humans would survive by having Noah and all his family join him on the boat.
And then it rained and rained and rained and rained and rained and rained.
Once the rain stopped, Noah sent a raven out as a way of discovering if the flood was over. And in due time, the raven did not return which meant it was safe.
Today, let’s think about creation. God created the world in 6 days, resting on the seventh, and said that it was good. But then it wasn’t good. And, if we look at the story in a literal way, God wants to wipe the slate clean by removing all the not-so-good that now thrived in the world, in hopes of starting fresh with only the good.
But if you read on, Genesis 8:20-21 where Noah builds an altar to God and God says, “I’ll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I’ll never again kill of everything living as I’ve just done.”
I’m wondering what your thoughts are on this.
In some ways, I’m reminded that we are created in God’s image, and here we have God realizing that what was done maybe wasn’t the best plan at all. That, regardless of wiping the slate clean, there is still the evil that lurks inside that can’t be erased. And God thinks on it, recognizes the significance and makes a promise to turn from that drastic reaction again.
There is a lesson of grace and forgiveness in this in a way. If God can do something, reflect on the impact, realize that people have this thing inside of them, and then make a promise moving forward… then maybe we can too.
There may be things or people in our lives where we have burned bridges, destroying the chance to rekindle a relationship/friendship or even something else. Have you ever taken the time to sit back and think on it deeply? Have you looked at the parameters and recognized what can or cannot change within all parties/things involved? Have you thought about making a promise to yourself or to others about how to move forward?
These questions may be hard to think about in this very moment, and if that’s the case, keep them in the back of your mind and see if anything arises for you.
What I love most from this story is that God truly understand us – that we will be good and we may be bad – but God will never turn away from humanity again. That God will do all he can to bring us back into the fold.
Here’s a song called “Forgiven” by one of my favourite Christian groups, Crowder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ZWEO36jok&feature=emb_logo
A prayer for us today:
God, we give you thanks for forgiving our transgressions, our faults, our flaws, and all the things we find wrong with ourselves. Thank you for accepting them as part of us and for never giving up on us. Help us to continue to be open in growing as humans, as people of this world, and as one of your beloved children. For those things that we hold onto that weigh us down, help us to forgive ourselves so that we can put that heavy weight down and move forward with you in making this world a better place. Thank you for your grace and your love. Keep us safe today O God. Amen.
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