From Genesis 5

How timely that I read about Noah and the flood just days before the Qld flood disasters last week. In the midst of the mess, I had firmly in my head the picture of the rainbow and God's covenant with us....He will never again send a flood that will wipe out all living things. So even in the midst of sadness and loss, there was still hope. Hope in a good God who always keeps His promises.

And another thought from Genesis 5 is about the life of Noah himself and the example he is to us. We are told that Noah was a 'righteous and blameless man who walked with God.' He 'did everything just as God commanded him.' How hard that must have been for Noah. In many ways.

The work he was called to do was physically demanding. Long days...heavy work....splinters. You can imagine the sweat, the aching muscles and weariness at the end of the day. Yet he kept on going....there was a job to do.

It was emotionally demanding work. Noah was facing the unknown. Having never even seen rain, he was being asked by God to prepare for a 40 day and night downpour. He was facing a future that seemed clouded and unclear. And he was leading his family into the unknown. Yet he kept on going....all the while trusting in God and living in obedience to the call God was making.

It was socially demanding. Noah was questioned and ridiculed by his friends and strangers. He faced isolation and ignorance. He was not popular and his work, his values and his life were not admired or accepted. He was misunderstood and he was alone, apart from his immediate family and of course....God. Yet he kept on going.....realising that 'God + me = a majority.'

Trust and obedience. They are to be the obvious hallmarks of anyone who calls themselves a 'Jesus follower'. And while for you, they may not look anything like they did for Noah (I assume none of you has an ark taking shape in the backyard!) the command of God is nevertheless on our lives. Today He is calling us to be His earthly ambassadors. He wants us to love others...unconditionally. He desires for us to care for the poor. He needs us to help our husbands....cherish our wives......teach our children. His commands challenge us to be wise stewards of our finances and our time. He wants us to make wise choices about what we eat....watch...read....say. And He has specific jobs and ministries for us to be involved in.

Sometimes, He ups the ante with His call on our life. He may be asking us to care for an elderly parent.....walk through the trial of sickness or injury.....raise a child with a disability.....clean-up after a flood.....live with the grief of loss......endure the ill treatment of a work colleague.....keep on loving an unlovely spouse.....

No matter the circumstances or situation, God desires our trust and our obedience....but He never suggested that either would be easy. Some of what He asks of you may be physically demanding. Some may be socially or emotionally demanding. But like Noah, we can keep on keeping on. Because the reward will be great. Like Noah, I want it said of me....s/he 'found favour in God's eyes.' Don't you?

Does this look like your life?

Psalm 112
Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.
The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Look at Psalm 112 as a) the pattern for living the life that pleases God and b)guaranteeing blessing. How are you measuring up?

Are you....
Praising him? My brother commented on a grace I prayed last week and called it a 'thanks-fest.' I don't know that he meant it as a compliment, but that's how I took it. Because I want God to look at me as a grateful child of His. How important it is to start our days and our prayers with thanksgiving and praise of our great God. It puts Him in the right place in our lives and gives us the right perspective on life.


Fearing Him? 'What a friend we have in Jesus' was a favourite old hymn we used to sing, but so often I don't have the right reverence and respect....fear...of God that I should have. I am way too familiar and some times downright disrespectful. I treat God worse than I would treat an enemy...not that I have any of those - that I know of. As LORD, He deserves much better than that.


Obeying Him? Verse 1 says I need to find great delight in following and obeying God. Sometimes I do...but sometimes, making the right choices is just plain hard. And I don't do it well. I get short and snappy at my kind husband...I judge others when I have no right to...I gossip in the name of sharing concerns...I am very selfish, looking for what I can get out of a situation. But the Bible clearly tells us how much God delights in our obedience...it matters to Him more than any sacrifice we might give. And it is one of the most powerful witnesses we can have.

But wait! There's more we are to do.....give generously, be gracious, compassionate, righteous, upright, trusting and just. Seems like God is asking a lot....but considering how generous He is, He offers great rewards for those who focus their eyes, their hearts and their desires on Him.

I absolutely love the promises for those who live Psalm 112.

• A blessing will be upon our families and children....what a gift that is...to them and to us.
• Wealth and riches....but not just for us to enjoy. They are to be the means by which we give to and bless others.
• We will see light in dark, difficult times. No time in my life has that been more obvious than during my year in Africa. One night, I was stuck in the capital city and needing to find my way home to my town, 25 minutes away. As it was only my first couple of weeks in the country, I had no idea which mini-van/bus to take from that part of the city. It was dark and I was surrounded by people who looked and sounded so very different to me, but I had a quiet confidence that God was with me and would provide a way home. And He did...in the form of a Ugandan angel....a lovely lady who not only took me to the right bus that would eventually take me to the depot for me to catch the bus home, but also jumped on with me to make sure I got there safely.
• I will also know goodness...be confident...feel secure....experience peace....know victory....stay calm....rest....enjoy my life.

What precious, life-changing, priceless gifts.
Thank-you God...YOU are SO GOOD!