Trusting God

Scripture – Genesis 7:13-16: On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) A widely held theory of Biblical interpretation holds that there were at least two primary authors of this book we know as Genesis. At some point, an editor wove them both together into one account. It would be similar, I think, to taking the first four books of the New Testament and blending them together into one story. That certainly would explain why there’s so much repetition – as though most stories are told twice. It’s evident there are differences in the two stories. The common thread, however, is that God is in control. These are the stories that show God created life as we know it. And as we continued to live, this story tells of a “course correction” He had to make. I find it striking that, after everyone and everything was on the ark, God shut the door. After Noah did what God commanded, God sealed him in, ready for a safe and secure journey.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) The basic lesson remains the same: if I do what God says, He will see that I have all I need. If I rebel, He lets me live with the consequences. The fact is He knows what’s best for me. I know that’s true. I will trust Him today. I will very consciously seek His direction and follow it.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, you speak all the time. Please keep my ears open today. I have a lot of things I want to get done. Keep me open and ready to embrace your agenda – whether it agrees with mine or not.