I grew up in Sunday School which means the story of Noah and the ark is a most familiar one. Yet the story does not grow old and never fails to bring a fresh insight.
God had Noah build an ark according to very specific instructions, which Noah carefully follows to a T. Noah gathered his family and two of every living creature as instructed by God, entered the ark, and God shut them in while the flood waters rose.
Scripture then tells us something key to the story and to us:
“But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark …” (Genesis 8:1, NASB)
God did not shut them in the ark, close the door behind them, and leave 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 was triggered to an action. God remembered Noah, and sent a wind to recede the waters in order to let Noah and his troops out of the ark.
It is in God’s nature to remember.
Her 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 will healing 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 136:23, 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 pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. “For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
(Isaiah 43:2-3, NASB)
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.
God will remember His people,
and will lead them through and out.
The storms of life may be literal rainstorms, or the challenges we come against on any given day. When Deborah Rutherford was driving in a rainstorm, she learned a powerful lesson:Â “Although this was a physical storm I believe that God used this rainstorm to show me that this kind of gratitude, prayer, hope and deliverance is available for all of my storms.” Be sure to read her encouraging post “Finding Gratitude in a Rainstorm” HERE.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Photo by Elias Null on Unsplash
Today I may be joining …
I’m so glad God is with us in any trial or need. Though He is always with us, sometimes we experience a special sense of His closeness when going through a trial of some kind.
Love seeing the Matt Maher video here. His music has really been a balm to my soul so many times. We have tickets to see him next month.
He remembers us and won’t remember our sin. Wow! What a Savior!
Good reminder, Joanne. It does seem sometimes that a particular struggle will last forever. I like to hang onto Psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Another example of “But God” stepsinto the situation.
Joanne, such a sweet comfort to my soul here today. I have so many areas in which I am “waiting” for God to act or answer. It can feel like I am forgotten sometimes. I wonder if Noah even felt that way! But our God is faithful and will remember me in His good time!
“But God remembered Noah…” While I knew the story as a child, I didn’t pick up on the phrase until my adult years–and what an achoring truth it is. Thanks for the reminder of this important truth.
Joanne, I love this post and how God remembers. Such a beautiful promise to cling to. Thank you for sharing “Gratitude in a Rainstorm.”
It’s amazing how the Word can be fresh and alive and new, even in a well-known story, Joanne. What a comfort to know God remembers us!
Thank you Joanne, it’s a reminder for us to remember He is always with us & always answers prayer in His perfect timing & way.
Although those answers may be packaged rather differently to what we thought.
Blessings sweet friend, Jennifer 💖
Just the reminder I needed this morning, Joanne! Trials don’t last forever. God is in control and I have to keep giving my problems and worries to him (and determine not to grab them back to worry over some more 😆).
Praise God our trials aren’t for nothing! He uses them to teach us valuable lessons, train us to sense His loving presence and hear His soothing voice, develop our faith muscles, and more. He IS a gracious Father, even amidst trouble!
Amen! Knowing that I am never far from God’s mind, and am never forgotten by Him brings wonderful peace and comfort, doesn’t it?
Yes, He knows and He is faithful!
Joanne, given that my word for 2023 is “remember,” I loved every word of this. Such comfort to know that God actively remembers us.