Genesis 8:1-9:17 – Noah Built an Altar

When I wake up to dreary, rainy mornings like today I sometimes wonder how Noah and his family would have felt on a day like today.  Would they have run outside looking for a rainbow to make sure God remembered His covenant with them?  Or were they calm, knowing and trusting that God would not flood the earth again.  Was it a reminder of all they had been through, the long journey on the ark?  Or did they get as used to the rain as we are, not even remembering what God had done?

When we go through challenges with God how do we respond once the struggle is over?  Do we keep the journey in the front of our minds or does the memory fade away with all the others and we forget how God brought us through?  I think as we go through the trial, we often lean heavily on God and rely on Him to get us through.  When the situation has ended or things have been resolved, we praise Him and give Him the glory.  We share with others how faithful God is.  We tell others they need to build a strong foundation in Jesus so when their storms come, they will stand firm.  Then over time, the pain fades, the memories aren’t so strong, and the glory of God’s movement becomes faint in our mind.

We go back to living life forgetting how awesome God is…until the next struggle comes along and the cycle is repeated.  My challenge?  Let’s not do that!  Let’s remember what God has done and live life remembering how powerful He truly is.  Noah built an altar to the Lord so he could sacrifice, but also to help him remember.  I’m a big advocate of putting reminders around the house – things to help us remember on the refrigerator or the bathroom mirror.  And when we “stop seeing” our reminders, because anything in one place for too long begins to blend in, we need to change it up so we don’t let our faith begin to settle in.

How has God gotten you through trials in the past?  How do you remember His faithfulness?  Be intentional in your memory or unintentionally you will forget.  Oh that we will never forget!!

I'm praying for you!

Pastor Amy