Can’t You see that I’m ready?

It’s the story that just about every American child knows… the story of Noah’s Ark.  How cute – the animals going in 2 at a time… there’s no mention of years of outcast from Noah’s community, poop having to be picked up, or anxiety felt by Noah’s family once they had to board the ark and just sit and wait.

As I was reading the account of Noah’s Ark in Genesis this past week, a few things really struck me about this story.  First, had anyone asked me how Noah decided to get off the ark – I think I would have only recalled him sending the raven and the dove out; I have assumed that Noah decided for himself when to get off the boat.  That is not what scripture tells us in Genesis 8:15-16, God told Noah it was time to leave the ark, and He gave him some instructions regarding the animals.

The second thing that deeply struck me was the amount of time between Noah knowing there was dry land and when God told him to leave the ark.  From Noah’s first indication that there was dry land until he got off the boat was 107(ish) days!  That is over 3 months!

Three months isn’t that long of a time in general everyday life, but when you are sitting there doing nothing but waiting for the rest of your life to begin and you have no idea why you can’t get off the boat – 3 months is FOREVER!

 By the way, I am no Bible scholar.  This is what I captured, but I didn’t do a detailed study.  Even if the exact # of days is off, the bottom line is still the same… it was a long journey.

The emotions I listed here are really how I think I would have felt if I were Noah, but of course the Bible doesn’t record the many ways God may have comforted them during this stay on the ark.

The first thing Noah did when he got off the ark was build an alter to the Lord and offer burnt sacrifice.  When I think of all the tasks this family had to do, it was a big deal that Noah took the time to do the sacrifices first.

Then, as a beautiful end to Genesis 8, it says, “The Lord smelled the soothing aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, ‘I will never again curse the ground on account of man…”

I assume the last few months of Noah’s boat ride was the hardest because it may not have made sense to him why he still needed to sit on the boat.

The ark had been a safe place for Noah and his family… It had been a insightful gift from God that had protected them from the rain and it may have even protected them from having to hear and see the cries and pleas of their drowning friends and neighbors.  It is possible that they didn’t want to get off the boat at all because it had provided them comfort in so many ways, and, now, they were faced with all the unknowns of the future.

Much like Noah, I have a history with God where He has followed through and has done what He said He would do.  There have been many times in which I assumed I knew the way only to realize that I know very little and God knows everything.  He has been faithful each and every time.  I assume that this type of history is what kept Noah sane those last few months on the boat.

Whether you are the person that wants to remain in the comfort of the boat or the person who is overly eager to get off the boat in order to accomplish the next thing – I pray for each of us today that we will recognize God’s sovereignty and His desire AND ability to lead us into the next “thing” in perfect timing.  I also pray that our first response – when the end of waiting finally arrives, that we will not just go on about our business, but, instead, our first response will be that of giving God the honor.  Lets give Him praise even today because the victory isn’t just when this is over, the victory is in what is happening in and through us even now during our time of waiting.

Gratitude and praise is not always an easy choice to make, but I have never regretted it.

What is your struggle?  Are you able to recognize God’s hand in your wait… in your hardship today?