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Readings: Genesis 8:13 – 9:17 + Revelation 22:1-6
As a kid, I know I made promises I couldn’t keep.
“We’ll be best friends forever.”
“I’ll sit with you at lunch every day.”
“I promise to let you borrow that book tomorrow.”
Even last month, I found myself faltering on a promise. I had told a friend I would deliver her headshots in 2 weeks. As it turns out, it took me closer to 4 or 6 weeks. Thankfully, she was quite understanding.
Often our ability to keep our promises is based on our circumstances. We may have made a promise with all sincerity, believing that we could keep our word no matter what. But human nature is fickle and fragile.
In contrast, God’s nature is trustworthy and sure. His circumstances don’t change, and neither does his ability to keep his promises.
In Genesis 9, we read about God’s covenant with Noah and his family. The flood is over, a dove has found evidence of dry ground (Gen 8:11), and the ark doors have opened wide.
I can imagine Noah and his sons stepping out onto the ground, in awe of what was that no longer is. Just 40 days ago, life as they knew it ended.
Despite seeing dry ground (Gen 8:13), Noah still waited to hear God call him off the boat.
Noah and his family stepped off the ark with no idea what to expect in a post-flood world. They had done as instructed, crafted the boat, gathered the animals. They watched as the world as they knew it ended. But what happens now?
If God brought the flood once, what was stopping him from doing it again? I imagine Noah always on guard, fearful of rain, working to assess and prepare for any other disaster that might befall them.
It’s hard to return to everyday life after a traumatic, life-changing event.
But living in fear is no way to live. And God doesn’t want his children to live in fear.
So God sent a rainbow. God promised Noah and his sons that life would never again be destroyed by floodwaters (v. 11). And he set up this covenant to be endless.
There is no end date on God’s protection.
God is unable to go against himself. He is incapable of being in contradiction to his nature. We know that when God makes a promise, we can trust him to keep it.
God reassures Noah’s family that a flood of this capacity won’t happen again. They are free to walk forward in faith and trust in God and his character.
Journal Prompt: What promises have you seen God honor in your life? How do these fulfilled promises help you let go of fear, doubt, and worry? Prayerfully bring your fears and doubts to God.
