Feb. 26, 2015: Genesis 9:8-17

We encourage you to read this devotion three times a day.  Start in the morning and reflect upon the morning reflection question. Then in the afternoon, read it again and reflect using the noon question for reflection.  For the evening, take time to ponder how this has resonated with you in the day and reflecting using the evening question.  We offer a prayer with each devotion for you to pray or we invite you to pray what is in your heart.

Genesis 9:8-17 

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, ¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. ¹¹I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ ¹²God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ ¹⁷God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’

Key Verses:  vv. 9-13  "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after

you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of theearth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

Reflection:  

We all know people in our lives who we refer to as being a little "off".  In my family, they would say that a person was a "half a bubble of plumb."  I can only imagine what people thought about Noah from the beginning of his building of the ark.  He would have definitely fallen in the "off" category to say the least.  It is a funny thing, God hasn't stopped calling us to do things that might seem a little "off" by other people.  After all, in Romans Paul tells us to not be "conformed to this world but to be transformed" aka- "off".  Isn't God creative?  Here, in our text this morning, we find Noah and his sons after the flood.  He is engaged with a conversation with God and God is talking in our key verses.  God offers some of the best news a guy like Noah could have heard- especially after surviving the ordeal he had gone through.  God offers a covenant- a deep, unending, binding promise.  The covenant was teeming with hope.  The sky was now the limit.  It was a new start for creation and a new start for Noah and his family.  I believe that is what God offers us each day.  With each day, we get another chance to get a life of faith a little more right than the last.  That gives me a lot of hope and I pray it will bring you hope as well.

 

Reflection Questions:  

Morning: What kind of covenant do you believe God has made with you?  How does that covenant change the way you live and the choices you make?

Noon:  Who is the most hopeful person you know?- say a prayer for that person

Evening:  What second-chance has God offered in your life?  How has that second-chance given you an opportunity of a new future with hope? 

Prayer:  The world is your creation and under your domain.  Help me to live accordingly.  Remind me that I have a future through you.  One that is filled with hope and with potential.  Thank you for not giving up on me or on the world.  help me to share you love with others.  Help me to offer hope to others today.  Amen.