Gen 8 - God Remembers His Servant

Just as taking a bath removes the filth from our bodies, God had virtually wiped evil off the planet in the flood. A fresh start with only Noah and his family. As we begin this chapter the ark had been floating on the waters for over six months.

The first verse is so encouraging. Any place in scripture where the words "But God" appear you know there is something significant. God is providing for Noah and the rain has stopped and the floods are receding.

God gives Noah a couple bits of encouragement. Even though water still covered the earth the ark stopped floating. It comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The second piece of encouragement is when the dove returns with the branch in its beak. There is land out there somewhere! Can you imagine the joy that must have rang out on the ark that day!
Finally a year after this ordeal had begun Noah sees there is dry land and is told by God that he can leave with his family.

Noah's first action is to build an altar and to sacrifice some of the clean animals on it. God was so pleased to know Noah's sacrifice. It was truly an act of love from Noah to God. Interestingly God is not fooled into believing Noah was pure because in verse 21 God says "never again will I curse the ground because of man because every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood". God knew Noah and his family had a predisposition toward sin even as Noah's offering reached his nostrils. Nonetheless God reaffirms his promise to never destroy all life as he did in the time of Noah.

When we become Christians we don't lose our capacity to sin; we gain the ability not to sin. Even though we may fail him God remembers his children and his children's sacrifices for their faith.

We may have tremendous opposition but we have an even greater God who sees our needs and is pleased with our prayers offered in faith.

Let's pray: Almighty God, thank you for your tender mercies in our life. As Noah did in his time we also look to you for our salvation and our provision for life here. Please accept our service and our prayers as tokens of our gratitude for your loving kindness. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.