Genesis 8:1-19 Devotional

Genesis 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters
receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. 6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore. 13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh- birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth- that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

After six and one third months in the ark Noah may have thought how long he was going to be in ark.  We often ask, "How long, Lord?"  But God never forgets us.  The text says, "But God remembered Noah."  Whatever trial we are going through; whatever tough assignment we are going through, God never forgets us!  He will see us through the trial and help us complete a difficult assignment. 

God made a wind to blow over the earth and the waters subsided.  We can look for the "wind" God creates that will get us through.  Note that it took time after God provided the "wind" for the trial to be over, for the assignment to be completed (vs 13).  Don't get impatient.  God is at work.  Live in peace and joy knowing God is at work to get you through the trial and to help you complete your assigned work.

The time came for Noah and his family to get out of the ark.  God gave directions to Noah when he left the ark.  God told Noah to get all the living creatures out of the ark and instructed him  to be fruitful and multiply.  Noah did what God said. 

Lessons to live by:  God knows our situation.  He hasn't forgotten us.  God will act at the right time to deliver us through our trial and to help us complete our God-given assignment.  God will give us direction for the next stage of our life.  Our job is to be currently engaged in doing what God has set before us knowing we are in His care.  Jesus will be with us through all of our life.  We are in His very capable hands (John 10:28)