Day 7 - OUR REFUGE

Read: Genesis 6:5-8:22
Focal passage:

Now the Lord observed the extent of the people's wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart . . . But Noah found favor with the Lord . . .

Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with him.

Genesis 6:5-6, 8-9

When the scripture passage of the day is lengthy, the story is familiar and my time is short, it's always been, in the past, a temptation to me to quickly scan what I'm reading. With this study I've covenanted with the Lord to take my time with the daily scripture readings and ask God to show me Himself in what I'm reading. I ask Him to open my ears to hear Him speak His love to me. My goal each morning when I sit down with my Bible and my devotional book is not about getting a message to share on this blog (even though that's very important to me). It's not about getting a "warm fuzzy" or a thought for the day. What it IS about is simply spending time with my Father and letting Him remind me of His love. This is of vital importance to me, first and foremost, because I have found that His love is better than life to me. (Psalm 63:3) I haven't always known that the way I do today. God's love has become increasingly real to me in the last year and a half - more so than at any other time in my life. Second, I want to quietly spend time with my Father because I want to learn to love Him back in new and fresh ways. I want to learn to love Him without limits. I want to learn what it truly means to be completely loved by Him and to completely love Him in return.

One of Webster's definitions for "completely" is: "fully carried out." Oh how I want God's love "fully carried out" in my life! That reminded me of what Beth Moore wrote on her blog yesterday:

"In my own quiet time this morning out on my back porch, God spoke to me about getting the "full measure" (those are the two words I kept hearing in my spirit) of God out of every trial or season. In other words, if I have to be in it, I want every drop of God I can get out of it. Milk that thang, Girls. Milk that thang. He didn't allow you to be in that situation for nothing."

I don't know about you, but when I come to my quiet time each morning, I intend to "milk that thang." When I sit talking with (and listening to) my Father in the mornings and when I walk with Him throughout my day, I want every drop of Him He will give me!

So, here we are to the familiar story of Noah. How many times as a child to do you remember hearing the story of Noah's ark? Can you still sing some of the little songs . . ."Noah went a fumblin and a jumblin in the dark - found himself a hammer and he built himself an ark . . . in came the animals two by two - the hippajamma-amerson the wild kangeroo" ? Oh, you are so blessed to NOT be hearing me sing! GRIN!

Like Shannon Ethridge pointed out, as children we probably never recognized what a preposterous thing God asked Noah to do. Nor did we probably give much thought to the enormous proportions of the ark and all logistics of providing for the animals and humans it would give refuge to through a totally unprecedented storm. But, as an adult, doesn't reading the story afresh in your Bible and thinking about all these things just stagger your imagination? Doesn't it increase your awe of the might and power of God? It sure does mine!!

I can't imagine 120 years of faithful obedience in what God has called you to do without a single visible evidence that you're on the right track. Oh, to have the faith of Noah! I remember once complaining to a counselor I knew at church that I had been faithfully praying for something for 24 years and saw no evidence of any change. He turned and looked at me incredulously like that was the silliest statement he'd ever heard. Then he asked, "What's 24 years in the light of eternity?" That put things right into perspective for me! I guess Noah knew God well enough to know that 120 years was nothing in the light of eternity. But that sure doesn't diminish the astounding importance of his faithful obedience.

I'm so glad Shannon pointed out what God was doing throughout this scenario. (p.30) First, that He was grieving heavily over the wickedness that prevailed in the hearts of all Noah's contemporaries. Second, He recognized the purity of Noah's heart and went to great lengths to provide for his safety. Though God never compromises His holiness by tolerating sin and rebellion, He goes to great lengths to supernaturally provide protection for the righteous.

Just like Noah's world, the world you and I live in is filled with sin and rebellion. We have continual opportunities to feed our sinful flesh. Like Noah, we need a shelter. We need an ark in which to take refuge from the storms and floods of life. Jesus is our Ark. He is Our Refuge. God loved Noah and drew him from the storm into the ark. God loves you and me too and He invites us into the only place of refuge that will suffice against the storms of life.

We have a precious young couple in our church who are currently undergoing one of the worst storms any parent can imagine. Their little son was born last summer with spina bifida. He has had many surgeries in his few months of life and is currently in Birmingham Children's Hospital undergoing a series of life threatening and life altering procedures. His parents' hearts ache with the pain of watching him suffer pain from the surgeries and then melt when he flashes them one of his sweet little smiles. In one of Allison's emails requesting prayer for John Samuel she wrote: "Sometimes God delivers us from suffering, and sometimes He delivers us through it- and He has certainly been right here with us through it all." In another she wrote: "Thank you so much for your prayers. God is bringing us through each day, and showing His love through our wonderful family and friends." A few days before she wrote: "This is a big week of tests, doctors' visits, and making decisions about his treatments and therapies. We would so appreciate your prayers for strength, wisdom, and God's will to be done. We know even though our circumstances look bad, God is good, and He is right here with us. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!" Allison and Tim are two who have learned that their God is their Refuge as He shelters them in this storm. I am so humbled by the testimony of their faith. Would you pray for them and their sweet little John Samuel when the Lord brings them to your mind?

HOLDING HIS HAND:
(1) Do I believe that God is eager to judge the sins of the world (mine included), or do I believe that God patiently longs for the hearts of mankind to turn toward Him?

There are many scriptures that leave no doubt that God will judge sin. Galatians 6:7 says: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." BUT there are also many many scriptures that describe the patience and longsuffering nature of God. Ours is a merciful God! II Peter 3:9 says: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

God displayed His patience with the people of Noah's day for the entire 120 years that Noah worked building the ark and preaching repentance. And just as a little added tidbit you might enjoy chewing on: When Noah's grandfather was born and Noah's great-grandfather, Enoch, named him Methuselah, the name meant "when he is dead the deluge shall be sent." Some Bible scholars believe this means that God had given His friend, Enoch, divine revelation as they walked and talked together that as long as Enoch's son lived, the world would be safe. But when Methuselah died, the deluge could be sent. So how long did Methuselah live? 969 years! Longer than any other person in the entire Bible! Do you think it's a coincidence that the man whose life span would measure the "breadth of the world's probation" would live longer than anyone else before or since? What an exhibition of God's mercy! (Gleanings in Genesis, Arthur W. Pink)

(2) Is there anything in my life that is hindering my ability to hear the voice of the Lord as He tries to shelter me from sin?

The battle is in my mind. It's real easy for me to buy into the world's evaluation of what I should and shouldn't be or do. And then, when I fail to measure up, I beat myself up mentally. I'm learning to take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (II Cor. 10:6). I'm learning to remember Who my Refuge is and who I am IN Him. Did you notice that I said "I'm learning" not "I have learned"? It's a process . . . but I AM learning. And, I'm immensely grateful for the patience and mercy of my loving Father Who never gives up on me!

(3) Is my refuge found in Christ alone, or do I turn to other things for shelter from the storms of life?

Here again, it's a learning process for me. For many years, when storms of life left me wounded and bruised, I turned to food for refuge. I ate to assuage my damaged emotions. But, I'm learning to replace habits that have been in place for years with healthier choices. And I'm learning to trust God in new ways and on different levels. But it's definitely a process! I'm so thankful to have a Father Who loves me and teaches me; all the while holding my hand as we walk this pilgrimage called life together!