I grew up in Sunday School which means the story of Noah and the ark is a most familiar one. Yet the other morning, there was a newness in the story which stood out on the pages before me.
God has Noah build an ark according to very specific instructions, which Noah carefully follows to a T. He instructs Noah to gather his family and two of every living creature, enter the ark, and God shuts them in while the flood waters rise.
Scripture then tells us something key to the story and to us:
“But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals with him in the boat”
(Genesis 8:1, NLT)
God does not shut them in the ark, close the door behind them, leaving them there for an indefinite amount of time. He “remembered” them.
“God remembers”, meaning He not only had a thought but that in thinking, He is triggered to an action. God remembers Noah, and sends a wind to begin to recede the waters in order to let Noah and his troops, out of the ark.
It is in God’s nature to remember. He remembered Noah. And He remembers us.
There are times in life when it seems as if our current situation will never end, change, or improve. We can wonder when healing will come to our loved ones. Will a job opportunity become available? Will we be noticed for our hard work and a salary raise be given? Will freedom come to an addicted family member or friend? Will our hopes and dreams come to fruition?
Time can seem to stretch on and on, as the days grow longer and we turn the pages on our calendar.
But God …
He does not leave us in our circumstances indefinitely. There is an end to our problems, our situations, our pain. He remembers us.
“He remembered us in our in weakness, His faithful love endures forever.”
(Psalm 136:2, NLT)
He sees us in our weakest moments, knows we are frail, and His faithful love causes Him to move in our circumstances.
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up. The flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:2-3, NLT)
There came a day when, “Noah, his wife and his sons and their wives left the boat” (verse 18). It is God’s nature to redeem.
What might God be looking to redeem, or remember, in your life?
God will remember,
and we will walk out into the future God has prepared for us.
Today I am joining … #DreamTogether and Moments of Hope and Soul Survival .
Such a big smile on my face reading this Joanne! I was just thinking yesterday of something I recently took up initially in obedience but then kept on doing in the flesh as if God had said “here you go” and walked away. You’ve got the flipped perspective here! He remembers. He doesn’t ship us off to sea (or flood) and wait for us to figure out the rest on our own.
So thankful this is the truth!!
Thankful for this reminder that God is with me during the days of rain, and the days of waiting in the Ark for something to happen, and in the planning and cultivation that follow the long wait!
I so love this line: “God will remember, and we will walk out into the future God has prepared for us.”
Yes!
I also loved your reference to Isaiah 43:2-3. I’ve experienced it in my own life. I know He will be with me no matter the difficulty.
Oh these are such precious thoughts. This especially is causing me to ponder: “It is in God’s nature to remember. He remembered Noah. And He remembers us.” Wow, the God who never forgets us, and has engraved us on the palm of His hand, still chooses to “remember our sins no more,” all because of His forgiveness. What an incredible and beautiful mystery! Thank you for sharing and stirring my heart today! –Blessings!