God Doesn't Forget His People Or His Creation

"Today's Devotion" For November 3, 2005

Read: Genesis 6:1-8:1; Psalm 111

GOD DOESN'T FORGET HIS PEOPLE OR HIS CREATION

"But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him on the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded." (Gen. 8:1)

This has been a year of natural disasters, or, as they are often described, "Acts of God." Starting with the tsunami in the Indian Ocean last December we see an incredible number of "acts of God" affecting the world and its inhabitants during the succeeding 12 months. We've seen a horrific earthquake in Pakistan and India, over a score of tropical storms affecting the Caribbean and Atlantic - many which became hurricanes of which a few were among the strongest on record - and a new form of avian flu virus that has the potential to become another worldwide pandemic. The loss of human life, especially as a result of the tsunami and the earthquake, is horrific; the potential for even greater deaths, staggering.

In the midst of these catastrophic occurrences and threats to human life and safety many people have asked the question, "Where is God?" People wonder how it's possible for a loving God to allow such terrible things to happen and such loss of human life. The Genesis account of the Flood helps us understand that such catastrophes are a result of the affect of Sin in the world. All too often the story of the Flood is often ignored by Christians and non-Christians alike. For many it's just a myth or fairy tale. If you don't believe in the inerrancy and truth of the Scriptures, I suppose it's just as easy to discount the Flood as it is to discount Creation for evolution.

The account of the Flood in Genesis, however, gives us pause. Three elements associated with this event particularly stand out. First, we're told that the people of the earth had forgotten God. In fact, as the account goes, only Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives were faithful to God. Second, we're told that at an appointed time it not only rained non-stop for forty days and forty nights, but the springs inside the earth also were let loose. There can be no doubt that these elements of nature are under God's control and serve His purpose in this event. Finally, we see the care and concern God has for those who are faithful to Him and His creation. He saved Noah and his family, as well as a menagerie of creatures, great and small, which had entered the ark two-by-two. At the end of 190 days "at sea" the ark finally came to rest on Mt. Ararat. It took a bit longer, but the waters finally receded and the earth was again free from the Flood.

The account of the Flood is a stark reminder of the sinfulness of human beings and the consequences of Sin on God's creation. God's wrath toward Sin is evident in the Genesis account of the Flood. So also is His mercy and grace as He provided for the preservation of Noah and his family and all the animals and creatures on the ark. It's not too hard to imagine that Noah and his family felt quite devastated to lose friends in the community because they refused to trust God. It's not too hard to imagine that Noah and his family felt lost and forgotten as they saw others dying from the flood waters, unable to save them, and then floating around for almost seven months before coming to rest on Ararat. But God did not forget them, and, in the face of the natural disasters that have faced the earth this past year, it's also good for us to be reminded that God has not forgotten us either.

Scripture very clearly tells us that God "remembered them." He hadn't forgotten about Noah, his family, or the creatures on the ark. They were, and still are today, His creation which He loves and cherishes. He brought them back to earth. He set them on dry land. He opened the doors of the ark and set them about replenishing the earth once more. He solidified His promise to never again destroy the earth and every living creature with a flood by placing a rainbow in the sky as a perpetual reminder of that promise to every living creature. That reminder is still evident today after a rainstorm. It's also a constant reminder to us that, no matter the calamity that touches the lives of people, even ourselves, God is never far away - He is everywhere present - and always stand ready to offer His love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness to all who repent and turn to Him. These blessings from God are made all the more evident by the care and love showered upon those affected by such catastrophic events by their fellow human beings.

As the people of God, who trust God's promise that He is always with us according to Jesus own promise in Matthew 28:20 -"Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the world" - we take the opportunity to share His grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness as we serve those in need. Perhaps it's valuable for us to see these catastrophic events not only as "God's punishment for Sin," as some have said (and certainly not incorrectly since such events occur because of Sin in the world), but also as God remembering His people and giving us a "kick in the pants" to reach out to others who don't know Him. God has not only not forgotten us, but He also hasn't forgotten the world. He still desires that all would be saved through faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior from Sin. We are the messengers of that truth.

Prayer: Father, it's really very easy for me to discount the masses of people in the world who don't know Your love in Christ. When natural disasters - "Acts of God" - affect those who live half-a-world away, I'm concerned but not terribly moved. After all, the thought enters my mind that these are people who aren't Christian, who don't know Your love in Jesus, and who worship false gods and have false religions. Even when it happens to my own countrymen, I have a tendency to first look to help my brothers and sisters in Christ who have been affected, rather than just helping all who are in need. Father, forgive me for being selfish and closed off to those in need. As You have remembered me and all Your people in our times of need and the crises of Sin in our lives, help me to also remember my fellow human beings who are also desperately in need of Your love and forgiveness. Help me to draw a lesson from the Flood that You don't want to destroy but save, and that I am an instrument of sharing that salvation with the world. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright ©2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.