Journey Through the Bible in a Year
Reading God's Word and learning more about His plan for my life each day!
Friday, September 13, 2002
Introduction to Journey Through the Bible
A note about online study
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your gracious love, that causes You always to show mercy, that causes You always to find a way to preserve people to know You, to love You and to receive the freely offered salvation of Your Son, Jesus. I pray this day that I may always live with gratitude and joy for Your great mercy in my life. May the story of Noah always remind me that You remember Your people, that Your ultimate response to our sin, is to provide a way of salvation. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that all that I am, and all that I do may glorify and honor You, today and always. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My Journey Verses for Today
Genesis 8:1-22
1 But God remembered Noah and all the animals in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the waters, and the floods began to disappear. 2 The underground water sources ceased their gushing, and the torrential rains stopped. 3 So the flood gradually began to recede. After 150 days, 4 exactly five months from the time the flood began, the boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 Two and a half months later, as the waters continued to go down, other mountain peaks began to appear. 6 After another forty days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat 7 and released a raven that flew back and forth until the earth was dry. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if it could find dry ground. 9 But the dove found no place to land because the water was still too high. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside. 10 Seven days later, Noah released the dove again. 11 This time, toward evening, the bird returned to him with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Noah now knew that the water was almost gone. 12 A week later, he released the dove again, and this time it did not come back. 13 Finally, when Noah was 601 years old, ten and a half months after the flood began, Noah lifted back the cover to look. The water was drying up. 14 Two more months went by, and at last the earth was dry! 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Leave the boat, all of you. 17 Release all the animals and birds so they can breed and reproduce in great numbers." 18 So Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives left the boat. 19 And all the various kinds of animals and birds came out, pair by pair.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and sacrificed on it the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. 21 And the LORD was pleased with the sacrifice and said to himself, "I will never again curse the earth, destroying all living things, even though people's thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood. 22 As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night."
Reflecting on God's Word for My Journey
What is the longest time that you have ever been away from your family and other people you know and love—either on a retreat, or on a business trip, at camp? What were your feelings when you were finally reunited with your family and friends?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word for My Journey
What did God do to show that he “remembered” Noah and all the animals on the boat? (8:1-4)
How did Noah determine that it was safe for him, his family and the animals to leave the ark? (8:5-19)
What was Noah’s first action after leaving the ark, and what was God’s response to it? (8:20-22)
Understanding God's Will for My Journey
What evidence do you find in today’s reading that God’s ultimate will for human beings is our good?
What is the most significant action of Noah in today’s reading? Why?
Applying What God's Word Tells Me to My Journey
What do you learn about being faithful for the “long haul” in today’s Scripture reading? What one thing will you apply from today’s text to help you in the long haul?
My Personal Journey Thought for the Day—“God Remembered!”
If you were Noah, traveling for months and months (we thought it was only 40 days and 40 nights, didn’t we?) on the surface of the water, without even a window open, wouldn’t it seem like God had forgotten you? But, in today’s reading we find these most important words, “But God remembered Noah and all the animals in the boat.” He didn’t just remember Noah and the animals in the sense that He said, “Oh, yes, I remember Noah and the animals. They’re the ones I put in that boat five months or so ago before I destroyed everything else.” He remembered them with an intent to do them good! He sent a wind to blow away the waters. He made sure that the ark came to rest on top of a mountain. He closed up the sources of underground water and saw that the dry land appeared once again. How wonderful that God remembers us—He acts in our behalf! We all have days when we think that nobody remembers (or cares) who we are. When we get in that place, it’s crucial for us to remember that God ALWAYS remembers us. God loves us and will never leave us or forsake us. God is the source of our life, joy and salvation. The next time you see a rainbow—remember that. And the next time you see a gray cloud—remember it even more!! God remembers us, and does something about it! Jesus is God’s ultimate act of remembering us!
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