Genesis 8:1-10:32
Matthew 4:12-25
Psalm 4:1-8
Proverbs 1:20-23
As I went through today's reading, two words leaped into my mind, making as big a splash as a morbidly obese diver who changed his mind just as he left the high board on a swan dive: "patience" and "faith".
The story of Noah is one of patience and faith, among other things. Think about it: as they were obedient to God, building the ark, they must not have known what God had planned, and they must have suffered tremendous ridicule at the hands of other people...but they were patient, prepared to wait for God's revelation of His purposes in His time. And when that revelation became clear - when the clouds broke and the rain poured - they were even more patient. Think about it: bad enough a year, partly in very rough seas, in a big boat with no stabilizers; even worse, we don't know if the plans included vented plumbing. Seasickness, stale food, and the ripe aroma of enclosed wildlife over more than 365 days, but they were patient. One can only imagine the desperation to get off the ship, back onto dry land. And through it all, they did not know what God had planned - whether or not He intended for the waters to recede, whether or not He intended for them to return to the ground, but they had faith.
I pray - but sadly, I find many of my prayers are still for what I want, which is often different from what God has chosen for me in the moment. It is scary to imagine how difficult the lesson might be, but one day I hope to pray like Noah did - not just with his words, but with his life - a life spent trusting in God's plans, and waiting for them to come to fruition according to His schedule - a life of patience and faith.
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