Come Out of the Ark!

Scripture – Genesis 8:13-17: By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it.”

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) What wonderful words those must have been for Noah and his family to finally hear: “Come out of the ark!” Many times God calls me to wait. I’ll see something I think needs doing, and I’m ready to act. If I’m paying attention, I can feel the gentle, restraining hand of Christ holding me back. I would have wanted to scramble off that ark as fast as I could. But they waited. However long it was, even though they could see the dry ground, they waited until God called.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I often act without thinking. In the big decisions I face, I’ve learned to take time to pray and listen for God’s direction, and let Him guide me as I think things through. I forget to do that in the smaller decisions. I’ll be attentive to that today. I will listen for Christ’s direction in some of the “smaller” choices I face today, and see what happens.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, I know the problem is not on your end. You speak clearly. I don’t always receive clearly. A number of things come into play there. Most often I’m in a hurry and/or I don’t want to hear. I’m sorry for that. Please open the ears of my heart today. Organize my day as you want. Give me a willing spirit to follow.

An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting tomorrow morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.