Reading Plan:
Genesis 7
Living and Active
Author: Kyle Warren
There are moments in life that we can look back on and see both blessings and burdens. For me and my wife, moving from Nashville back to Laurel was a pretty tough burden. There was the physical struggle of moving from one state to another, which was awful enough, but the season that followed was one of the most difficult times we had ever experienced. Five years later, I can look back on the burdens we experienced in that time and also see the blessings that God allowed us to experience.
It might sound strange, but growing up in church is another one of those blessing/burden situations. The fact that I was essentially raised in church is a blessing I will always cherish. That is where my deep love and conviction for the power and community of the local church began to take root. However, now as an adult, I’m more aware of the burden of familiarity that I so easily fall victim to.
The story of Noah and the flood is a great example of the burden of familiarity that I am talking about. Growing up in church I can’t even begin to count the number of coloring pages, Vacation Bible School lessons, and VeggieTales videos that I consumed, all teaching me this very familiar story. I’ve read it, heard it, colored it. I got the story. The temptation is for me to gloss over these pages because what else could there possibly be to learn?
The writer of Hebrews says that God’s word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is never stale or outdated, and we will never have it mastered. It is always available to speak new truth into new seasons of our lives if we are willing to listen. What else could we possibly learn from a familiar story like Noah? So much!
As I slowed down and read through the verses of Genesis 7, here is what God began to highlight to me in new and fresh ways.
God doesn’t have to show mercy, but He chooses to. - Noah wasn’t a perfect man, but God chose to count him as righteous. All God had to do in Genesis 1 was speak to bring life into existence. He could have easily started over, but He chose to pour out mercy on Noah and his family. In the same way, you and I do not deserve to experience the eternal rescue provided by Jesus on the cross. We didn’t earn it and can never repay it, but God is good and merciful. I hope you pause today and thank God for the mercy He has given you in life.
The flood shows us that life is sudden and unexpected. - Jesus says in Matthew 24:37-39, “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” The people of Noah’s time were completely unaware of the destruction in front of them because they were so distracted with the pleasures of life. God has given you life to enjoy, not to distract you from the purpose He has created in you. If you have been waiting to take that step of faith, today is the day, because we are not promised tomorrow.
Noah’s faithfulness saved his family. It’s interesting to me that nothing is ever said about the faith of Noah’s wife or his children. Genesis only ever says that Noah was faithful in his time. Yet God saves not only Noah and his wife, in keeping with the example of all the other living creatures, God also saves Noah’s children and their spouses. We will likely never know the full extent to which our faith affects others.
Reflection & Response:
- Slow down and read Genesis 7. Even if you have already read it today, do it again but this time ask God to open your eyes to something new. Take some time to write down what He is teaching you about Himself and about your life through this familiar story.
Have kids?
Use the content below to dive deeper into the Bible Reading Plan with your family.
Family Application: God has a plan.
- In Genesis chapter 7, God sends the rain He promised He would send. It rained for forty days and forty nights straight without stopping. Imagine how much water that would be. It rained so much and for so long that the waters covered all of the mountains! Think about Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world—the waters covered even it. Can you believe that? It really happened. God had a plan to send rain on the earth and God had a plan to rescue mankind.
- In Genesis, God rescued mankind through Noah and his family. God had a plan to rescue all of mankind forever, though. God sent his Son, Jesus to the earth. He lived a sinless life, and then He died on a cross and rose from the dead three days later. When Jesus did this, He rescued all of us and made a way for everyone everywhere to have a relationship with God. Take a moment for your family to respond to this truth. Allow them to ask any questions they might have and then pray for each other.
- Encourage your family to talk to one new person this week. When they meet one new person, challenge them to ask if they have a relationship with Jesus and invite them to church.