Weathering the Storm

DEVOTION

GENESIS

WEATHERING THE STORM

Gen 7:17-24

17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet.     21 Every living thing that moved on the earth perished — birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. 24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

NIV

We can see the storm, a storm like none every existed before. Rain, rain and more rain, the oceans increasing, spilling over the shores of land, the rivers reaching flood stage quickly and then more rain, more water springing forth from the ground. The mountains were still not covered and both people and animals scrambling to reach the peaks, trying desperately to survive this horrible storm. What is not told to us but makes a great deal of sense is before the flood, before any rain fell upon the earth the mountains were covered with soil, like the rest of the earth that was only watered by a mist, a fog like mist. There was no erosion of soils due to rain. This would have caused much mud flowing down from the mountains covering the larger animals first who would have been unable to climb, such as the dinosaurs. The smaller animals, the people would have been able to continue higher and higher, but as we are told the storm continued until the highest mountain was covered with twenty feet of water. Nobody survived except those in the ark. The point here is the storm. Although Noah and his family were safe in the ark, the storm raged on and on outside. At first the ark sat still on its moorings but as the water kept rising it was lifted up, then it was subject to the raging storm. Although the ark was large the storm was larger and it had to have thrown the ark around like that fishing boat in the movie, The Perfect Storm. Sure they were safe inside, the ark was waterproof, but it was not built as stable as our modern cruise ships with all those stabilizers to keep them from being tossed about by the waves. The ark had to have been tossed around greatly for those forty days and forty nights as the storm raged on. We know it lasted for those forty days and nights but we are also told the waters covered the whole of earth for a hundred and fifty days. Did the storm itself cease and the waters grow calm? We don’t know, but we do know, although they were safe, they experienced the raging storm. This is our life lesson. Sometimes we experience a storm in our lives. Although we are saved, although we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we can experience some storms. God has promised he would always provide for us, that he would never leave us not forsake us. But it is clear that he did not promise we would live upon a bed of roses, that everything in our lives would always be perfect.

John 16:33

33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

NIV

In fact, Jesus was very clear that in the life we would have trouble, we would have storms. But again as Noah was safe within the ark, as we go through the storms of life, because we are in Christ, who has overcome the world, we too will be safe. We are not told how Noah and his family reacted to the raging storm outside, as they were safe inside the ark. Were they fearful? Were they apprehensive? Were they doubting the actions of God? Were they confident that God had provided for their safety? Were they sitting around the campfire singing Kumbaya, which means come by here my lord? We just do not know how they felt, but they were safe within the ark. We may go through some storms and we should know that we are safe in Christ. This should bring us a sense of peace even in the midst of the storm. That is another thing Jesus promised us.

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

NIV

We are not sure, but it would make sense that Noah had that kind of peace as well. God had commanded him to build the ark that would save him and his family. Noah had to know he was safe because he followed the commands of God and it had to give him that kind of peace within, even in the midst of the storm. We also can have that peace in the middle of the toughest times of our life. As God commanded Noah to build the ark, he also speaks to us as to how he has determined to provide for us in the middle of the storm. First we have the peace of Christ, but secondly as Noah partnered with God by building the ark, we too need to partner with God in doing something which he commands us to do in order to provide a way through the storm. This could be all sorts of things. We could guess this or that thing, needing to do this or that, but then it would be by our own instincts rather than hearing from God. He knows the best way for us to weather the storm. He knows the perfect way for us to be safe in the storms of life. Yes, in the end nothing really matters except we gain eternal life. But the fact is we live in the here and now, in this life and as Noah, we walk with God. So when we hear him tell us the way to safety in the storm, we need to start building. If Noah would have hesitated, or procrastinated what would have happened? Would he have just put off the inevitable? Would God have waited until he eventually got around to building the ark? Why do we wait? Why do we put off the inevitable? God has provided us a way to be safe in the storm, we need to get on with doing that with which he has provided. As we do everything the lord commands us to do, we will weather any storm.