Today’s Reading: Genesis 21, Psalm 147

The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. – Genesis 21:1-2

What a great reminder to start off our time in God’s word! God will do exactly as He promises at the exact time He said He would do it. The Lord is faithful and He can be trusted. This was also confirmed to Hagar and Abraham in today’s passage.

Hagar foolishly made fun of Sarah’s son, Isaac, and in response Sarah demanded Hagar and her son, Ishmael, be sent away. Abraham loved Ishmael but obeyed when God told him to do as Sarah had asked. Hagar wandered aimlessly in the wilderness, soon running out of the food and water Abraham had given them. She laid her son under the shade of a bush and then walked away, unable to watch him die.

“Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Go to him and comfort him for I will make a great nation from his descendants.” Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her container and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. – Genesis 21:17b-20a

WE DO NOT NEED TO PROTECT WHAT GOD GAVE US FROM THE GOD WHO GAVE IT TO US.

God reminds me of this truth often when it comes to my family. In fact, today’s passage of scripture is a great reminder of how God fulfilled a promise to me 23 years ago and continues to faithfully provide and protect.

In 1996 after three miscarriages and a hopeless diagnosis from a doctor, I received a promise from God that I would have a baby in about a year. Just as He promised, Elizabeth Kathryn was born 12 months later. My faith grew tremendously as I experienced firsthand the fulfillment of a specific promise from God.

As part of that promise, God revealed that my child would have a heart for Him. Libby has a very special relationship with God and He is preparing her for the ministry to which He is calling her. As He prepares her, I must let go and trust Him. I must remind myself that she is His and I do not need to protect her from His perfect plan for her life. So every time she gets another stamp in her passport, I thank God for the opportunities He is giving her and for his faithful protection over her.

There is joy in watching God’s plan for our children roll out but it takes courage to daily place them in God’s hands. No matter how excited we are about what God has for our children, no matter how long we have planned for each next step, no matter how much we have prepared for this moment – there is nothing easy about letting go of our children and trusting God with what comes next. As parents we must daily place these precious gifts from God back into the hands of the God who provides.

He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension…The Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. – Psalm 147:4-5,11

Today’s Reading: Genesis 20, Psalm 15 & 43

Who may worship you in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. – Psalm 15:1-2

In this next chapter of Genesis, we find Abraham repeating a mistake he made in chapter 12 when he and Sarah entered Egypt. Instead of introducing Sarah as his wife, he introduced her as his sister. He did this out of fear for his own life. His lack of trust that God would protect them in this new home of Gerar caused him to put his beautiful wife in danger in order to spare himself.

EXPECTING THE WORST

Because of the reputation of King Abimelech and the people of Gerar, Abraham expected the worst when he arrived in their country as a foreigner. He assumed that the king would find Sarah so beautiful that he would be willing to kill Abraham in order to have her for himself. Abraham expected King Abimelech to sin against him but his response in fact caused him to sin against the king. He deceived the king with a half-truth instead of choosing integrity in the midst of a risky situation.

So who suffered when Abraham chose to be less than honest? The king did find Sarah to be beautiful and had her brought to his palace. Imagine how scared Sarah must have felt as she was most likely placed in the king’s haram to prepare her for her first encounter with the king. She needed Abraham to be her protector and instead he was the one placing her in harm’s way.

Abraham’s sin of dishonesty placed King Abimelech and his whole kingdom in a dangerous situation. He set them up to sin. Scripture says they were terrified when they realized that Sarah was a married woman; they were also plagued with infertility. The king’s response to Abraham says it all:

“What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done. Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?” – Genesis 20:9b-10

How often do we expect the worst from others? In what ways are we setting others up to fail when we continually assume they will make bad decisions? Abraham could have been a powerful witness of what it looks like to be a follower of Jehovah, but was instead seen as selfish and cruel. Where was Abraham’s faith?

EXPECTING THE LEAST

Not only was Abraham expecting the worst from unbelievers, he was expecting the least from his holy God. God had promised protection to Abraham and had clearly painted a picture of the blessings he planned to bestow on him — descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the beach. Instead of trusting in the God who loves to give good gifts to His children, Abraham tried to orchestrate his circumstances in order to provide his own protection.

Lord, teach us how to trust in you in all situations. Help us to be a light to those around us as we extend both grace and truth to them. May our actions be a powerful witness to what you are capable of instead of being an indicator of our greatest fears. May we place our faith solely in you today. Thank you for being a generous God who watches over us and forgives us. Give us eyes to see others as you see them today. Amen.

Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. – Psalm 43:3a

Today’s Reading: Genesis 18:16 – 19:38, 2 Peter 2:17-22, Hebrews 11:13-16

In the Bible, when someone had a decision to make, they would often “cast lots” to determine the will of God. They would do this by throwing sticks or stones with markings on them. In essence, they would use a game of chance similar to flipping a coin or rolling the dice to determine which direction they should go or what should happen. This is referred to 77 times in the Bible. Thankfully we have the Holy Spirit now to direct us when we have a choice to make.

Consistent with his name, Lot (Abraham’s nephew) had a series of decisions to make. Now God had blessed both Abraham and Lot with a large possession of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and tents. Things were getting crowded and so Abraham offered to Lot his choice of land.

LEFT OR RIGHT

“The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.” – Gen. 13:9

When given a choice, Lot chose the Jordan Valley, an area that was fertile and therefore would make him very wealthy. This area had a reputation of constantly sinning against the Lord, yet Lot was drawn to what this area had to offer him and he made a choice to live among this sinful society.

OLD OR NEW

Soon after that, a war broke out between nine kings. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were plundered and Lot was taken hostage along with all of his household and many others. Abraham gathered together his men and rescued Lot from the mess he had gotten himself into. Rather than starting a new life in a new area, Lot chose to return to life as he knew it in Sodom.

Now when the three visitors came to Abraham with the promise that Sarah would have a baby in about a year, the Lord also had a message for Abraham regarding the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Both cities had become very flagrant in their sin and God was ready to destroy them.

LOVE SIN OR LOVE SINNERS

Abraham had concern for the residents of these cities and asked God if He would spare the cities if He found 50 people who were righteous. God agreed. Abraham asked if He would spare the cities if He found 45 righteous people. God agreed. What about 40? Yes, 40. What about 30? Yes, 30. Abraham boldly asked God if He would spare the cities if he found 20 righteous people. For the sake of 20, God agreed He would spare the cities. Abraham asked God for one more number – would he spare the cities for 10? God stated He would hold back his judgment if He found even as small of a number as 10 righteous people.

Notice the difference between uncle and nephew. Lot was drawn to the sinfulness of society while Abraham was concerned for the fate of the lost. Lot blended in with the sinful people while Abraham separated himself and prayed to the Lord for those condemned to judgment.

STAY OR LEAVE

Two angels came to Lot in Sodom. They warned him of the coming destruction of the city and told Lot to get out of the city. The next morning, Lot was still there. The angels insisted Lot take his family and leave Sodom immediately. Lot hesitated and the angels had to drag Lot and his family to safety.

When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!” – Genesis 19:17

He was being warned to run from sin and wickedness but Lot chose to stay close to the sinful life he had come to know. Lot’s wife looked back on the city as it was being destroyed and she turned into a pillar of salt. The verb used here indicates she cast more than a curious glance. She gazed intensely for a prolonged period. She was too attached to sin to respond to God’s gracious mercy. She chose to focus on what this sinful world had to offer her instead of the gift of life God was extending to her.

God, reveal the choices we daily make and do a work in our hearts. Lord, help us to see this world and be concerned for their sin, rather than drawn into its corruption. We choose freedom in knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ rather than being a slave to the sin that seeks to control us. We answer your call to live a holy life and ask you to fill us with your righteousness. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 18:1-15, Psalm 89

O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful. – Psalm 89:8

Although it is not always easy, there is joy in resting instead of resisting. Abraham loved his son, Ishmael, and he asked God to fulfill His promise through his son. God had something different, something better, for Abraham but it was beyond Abraham’s comprehension. God promised to confirm His covenant in about a year, through a son born of Sarah and named Isaac. It required faith for Abraham to accept God’s will in God’s way in God’s time.

Three men appeared to Abraham one day to once again confirm God’s promise of a son born to Sarah (possibly the Lord and two angels). Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent and laughed silently to herself saying, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master – my husband – is also so old?” (18:12)

Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” – Genesis 18:13-14

We may need a reminder this morning that what is impossible for us is possible with God. What we need to do is surrender our ideas of what God can do to the God who can do anything.

Sarah struggled in her faith but she did not stay in that struggle. It is possible that Sarah always looked back with regret at her initial response to God’s promise and to the mess she made when she tried to force God’s promise through her servant, Hagar. But she did not stay in the struggle to believe or the shame of her mess. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews says about this woman loved by God.

It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead – a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. – Hebrews 11:11-12

If God’s promise was to give Sarah a son when she was 20 years old, how much faith would have been required. If she was found to be with child soon after marriage, God would not have received the glory for the miracle of Isaac. What a great reminder to start off my day! With a hot cup of coffee on this beautiful morning and a word from the Lord, I’m eager to face what is ahead. All of the HOW questions rattling around in my brain have the same answer – God’s will, God’s way, and in God’s time.

El-Shaddai, I place my day in your hands.
God Almighty, I place my life in your hands.
Sovereign Lord, I let go and let you decide what happens from here.
I long to experience your will, your way, in your time. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 16 – 17, Psalm 139

The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born out of God’s own fulfillment of his promise. – Galatians 4:22-23

At times our faith is handicapped by our fear. We believe in God’s promises but we panic and attempt to force God’s plan into action — God’s will, my way, in my time. Sarai tried to force God’s will her own way in her own time by having Abram lay with her servant girl, Hagar.

My heart goes out to Hagar, a young Egyptian girl who for some reason had become a slave to foreigners instead of living out her own dreams of a husband and family. Now she was being forced to have sexual relations with her master. Hagar’s fear grew into anger when she realized she was pregnant with his child. Sarai’s fear turned into jealousy and she began to treat her servant harshly.

Hagar ran away, leaving the safety of the camp. She found herself sitting by a spring of water in the wilderness but she was not alone. “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” (16:8). God SAW Hagar’s pain and met with her, but sent her back to Sarai. It was not time for her to leave. God made it clear – My will, my way, my time.

There have been too many times in my life when I, like Sarai, have made a human attempt to force God’s hand and made a mess of things. What a great reminder this morning that God has a plan, God has a way and God has His own timing. I can rest and relax in His Sovereignty!

“I am El-Shaddai – ‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” – Genesis 17:1-2

God again confirmed His promise to Abram. He changed his name to Abraham, which means ‘father of many’ and changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, stating He would bless her richly and make her the mother of many nations. At ages 100 and 90, what God was promising seemed humanly impossible but God is Sovereign and for Him nothing is impossible.

You are the God who sees me. Just as Hagar sat by Beer-lahai-roi and spoke to the God who saw her, we bow before you this morning recognizing that you are an active God who sees us. You recognize what we are going through and you make your presence known. Lord, we ask you for clarity in some situations and faith in all circumstances. Show us areas in our life where we are trying to force your hand. May the fruit of your Spirit living within us be patience to wait for your perfect will in your perfect way at your perfect time. May we recognize you today as El-Shaddai, God Almighty. Amen.

Oh Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I am far away…You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand. – Psalm 139:1-6

Today’s Reading: Genesis 15, Psalm 112

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith – for he was a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. – Hebrews 11:8-10

Abram’s life is a great example to us of what it means to daily obey and submit to God’s plan, following Him wherever He leads. Sometimes this means leaving home like Abraham and sometimes it means a career change, going back to school, a new ministry position, or a leap into the unknown. Responding in obedience to God’s call requires a great amount of faith, which is exactly what Abram had. But Abram also had to deal with some fear. He had to learn how to trust God to protect him and to fulfill His promises in His perfect time.

ABRAM HAD TO OVERCOME HIS FEAR IN ORDER TO GROW IN HIS FAITH.

Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son?” – Genesis 15:1-2a

God promised Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth (13:16), but time had passed and Abram was confused by the fact that he was still without a son of his own. He called God “Sovereign Lord” showing that he recognized God was in charge. God reminded him – my will, my way, in my time. God confirmed his promise again to Abram, telling him his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (15:5).

And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. – Gen. 15:6

God reminded Abram that the promise for his descendants included the promise for a territory or inheritance. Again, Abram had questions, but recognized that God was in charge and God again confirmed his promise.

There have been several moments in this last year when I had to recognize that God is in charge. In moments when fear is pressing in and demanding my attention, I have to acknowledge God as Sovereign Lord and trust Him with the things that scare me the most. I have to trust Him with the care of my family and place the future in His capable hands. I have to overcome my fear in order to grow in my faith, just like Abram.

Having faith in God does not mean that we will be without questions, and it does not mean that we will not have moments of fear and uncertainty. But having faith in God does mean that we will take our questions to God and then trust Him for the answers, just like Abram did. We will hold on tight to what we do know and believe in God for the rest.

…they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. – Psalm 112:7b-8

Today’s Reading: Genesis 12:10 – 14, Psalm 27

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield to all who look to him for protection. – Psalm 18:30

We start today where we ended yesterday — with the reminder that we can trust God. His way is perfect and His promises are true. Unfortunately, Abram had a big lesson to learn on what it means to truly trust God for protection.

There was a severe famine, forcing Abram to go to Egypt to find food. Now Sarai was very beautiful and Abram feared the Egyptians would kill him in order to keep her. Instead of relying on God to fulfill His promise, Abram took matters into his own hands and deceived the Egyptians by telling them Sarai was his sister – which was true (20:12), but he failed to mention she was also his wife. God had promised to protect Abram, but Abram felt the need to protect himself through deception.

Sarai’s beauty was undeniable and she was taken to Pharoah to be his wife. Terrible plagues came upon Pharoah and his household because of Sarai’s presence. Pharoah gave her back to Abram and commanded him to leave Egypt — the place they had fled to in order to survive the famine. God could have used Egypt to provide for their needs, but Abram failed to trust in Him for protection so they were back on the road.

Abram left Egypt and traveled to the region between Bethel and Ai. Their group was quite large so Abram offered to split the land with Lot, giving Lot the first choice of which land he wanted. Now all the land to the east of them in the Jordan Valley was fertile and well watered, obviously the best choice of land. Perhaps Abram had learned something from his journey through Egypt. He knew that it was not the land itself that would provide but that God would bless him regardless of which piece of land he received. After Lot chose the better half, the Lord confirmed his promise to Abram a third time:

“Look as far as you can see in EVERY direction – north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.” – Genesis 13:14-17

There was a battle between the kings in the surrounding nations and Lot was captured in the battle. Abram rescued Lot, as well as many others caught in the conflict. The king of Sodom was so grateful that he wanted to give all the goods captured to Abram as a gift. Just as Abram now knew that God was the source of his protection, he also knew God was the source of his blessings. He refused the gifts and kept his eyes on God – his Protector and his Provider.

Father God, we thank you for being our source of provision and protection. We ask that you show us this morning if there are areas of our lives in which we are taking things into our own hands, trusting in our own abilities instead of relying on you. May we learn how to wait patiently for you. Amen.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. – Psalm 27:14

Today’s Reading: Genesis 11:27-12:9, Psalm 18

“Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:1-3

Leave and go where I show you to go. This first element of God’s promise requires more than just initial obedience, it requires continual obedience and submission — daily following wherever God leads. It is not enough that I followed obediently yesterday; I must continue to follow in obedience today. Abram did this and received confirmation of the promise God had given him.

I will make you into a great nation and bless you. This promise had great significance to Abram because his wife, Sarai, had been unable to become pregnant and they had no children. When God makes a PROMISE, we can trust Him for PROVISION. So if God was promising descendants, Abram simply needed to trust that God would provide children to Abram and Sarai. So accepting God’s promise requires daily obedience and a willingness to follow God wherever He leads, and it requires a huge amount of faith.

You will be a blessing to others…all the families on earth will be blessed through you. This promise was not just about Abram and for the benefit of Abram; it was much larger than that. There were so many other people who would be blessed through this promise, so many others relying on Abram’s faith in God and his decision to obey. Who is relying on our faithful obedience today? Are we living with the realization that our decisions today could affect someone else tomorrow?

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. – Romans 4:16b-25

I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. God promised PROTECTION to Abram, as well as guardianship of His promise.

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety… God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield to all who look to him for protection. – Psalm 18:1-2,30

Oh Lord, we thank you for your promises. May we respond in obedience to your call on our lives, just as Abram did. May we trust you for our protection and for every blessing in life. Remind us today, oh Lord, of your many promises. Remind us that everything good in our life is not a result of our own effort, but evidence of your PROMISE, your PROTECTION and your PROVISION. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 9-11:26, Psalm 75

After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. – Genesis 9:20-22

This mistake changed the course of Ham’s life. It was an issue of disloyalty and selfishness, the heart of gossip. Instead of taking action out of respect for his father, Ham went outside and told his brothers, who took care of covering their father. Ham shirked his responsibility and brought shame to his father. Noah cursed Ham’s descendants to a life of servanthood (9:26-27) – if you don’t want to help take care of family, you will spend the rest of your life with no choice but to take care of others.

Ham was not the only one of Noah’s descendants to think too much of himself. Ham had four sons but it was his son Canaan on whom the curse landed. The curse of servanthood did not come with a humble spirit. The desire to be famous and rise above the curse remained. The tendency to think too much of themselves remained.

This is evidenced in the life of Nimrod, who became a heroic warrior. His descendants thought too much of themselves. They settled in Babylon, which became the epicenter of ARROGANCE and idolatry. Their desire was to build a name for themselves, for their own glory instead of for the glory and purposes of God.

With a shortage of stone in that area, the people used innovation and created bricks. Rather than recognizing this as a gift from God, they found excitement in the idea that they might become famous. If they could build a great tower made of bricks, the world would hear and see how wonderful they were. People would come from all around to see this tower that represented their greatness. They would become famous and there would be no need to ever leave their earthly kingdom.

Consider the sin of Adam and Eve. The serpent tempted them with the possibility of becoming like God. Eve was easily convinced by the serpent and her desire for a wisdom like God’s caused her to sin. Adam witnessed the whole thing and joined in this self-ambitious sin. They were banished from the garden, made to leave the area they had come to love.

Compare the sin of Adam & Eve to the sin of those building the tower of Babel. The people of Babylon desired to be as powerful and famous as God. Their longing for fame and fortune was stronger than their love for God. Their desire to stay there and not be scattered all over the world resulted in just that – banishment and the scattering of people across the region.

It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall…For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.” – Psalm 75:7,10

Our salvation depends on having a humble and repentant heart. If we think too much of ourselves or of what we have accomplished, we begin to depend less on God and more on what we think we can do on our own. When confronted with temptation and sin, we arrogantly choose to build our own tower of Babel.

Today may we see every good and wonderful thing in our lives as a gift from you, God. May every blessing be evidence of your generosity. Forgive us for our moments of pride. We long to be servants of your Kingdom rather than building our own fame and fortune. Help us to see the needs of others and respond with a heart of love.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 6-8, Psalm 12

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on earth. It broke his heart. – Genesis 6:5-6

Not only does God direct us not to sin and warn us of the temptation of sin, it breaks his heart when we reject Him and choose to sin. The God of the universe cares enough to grieve when we push Him away in our attempts to live our own life and chase after all the world has to offer. He has a wonderful plan of salvation He was willing to sacrifice His Son in order to offer, and it saddens Him when we push His plan aside to make room for our own.

God sees each decision made and every sin committed. In Genesis, God grieved over His new creation and their lack of love for their Creator. He saw the selfish desires of their heart and how quickly they gravitated toward evil. But He also saw the heart of one who kept his eyes focused on God, who chose to walk in close fellowship with his Maker.

Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time. God chose to wipe all living creatures from the earth because of the violence that was everywhere. But, because of the faithfulness of one man, God created a plan to spare Noah and his family.

God told Noah that he was going to cover the earth with a flood. Noah had never experienced a flood but he trusted God. God told Noah to build a boat. Noah had never seen a boat but he trusted God. Everything God told him to do, Noah did exactly as God commanded him (6:22; 7:5). And everything God said He was going to do, He did – in His time.

It rained for 40 days and the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days. After 5 months, Noah released a bird to see if the floodwaters on the earth had dried up. But the bird came back because there was no place for it to land. It was not God’s time. Noah sent out a dove, but again the bird came back. It was not God’s time. Seven days later, Noah released another dove and it came back with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. It was still not God’s time but it was a sign from God that the time was drawing near. Seven days later, Noah released a third dove and it did not come back. Still Noah waited patiently for God’s instructions, which came in God’s time. Noah and his family left the boat when God said to leave the boat.

The life we choose to live is never outside of HIS SIGHT. Our faith grows as we choose to live our life for HIS PURPOSES and trust IN HIS TIME, believing that He is a God who keeps His promises. From that faith comes the gift of His righteousness.

The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. – Psalm 12:6

Father God, thank you for having a plan and a purpose that goes beyond my own understanding. Help me to daily trust you enough to wait for your perfect plan in your perfect time. Thank you for today’s reminder that you are a God who keeps His promises, a God whose heart I can trust. Amen.