Saturday, January 3, 2009

God of Promise

SOAP
Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
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SCRIPTURE:

18-19 Noah disembarked with his sons and wife and his sons' wives. Then all the animals, crawling creatures, birds—every creature on the face of the Earth—left the ship family by family. 
20-21 Noah built an altar to God. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt offerings on the altar. God smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done.
22 For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop." GENESIS 8:18-22 [MSG]



OBSERVATION:
He is a God of provision, a God of protection, and a God of promise.


APPLICATION:
Throughout the earliest history of man, we must have been such a disappointment to God. Like disobedient children, we constantly failed to please our Heavenly Father. Adam and Eve and the first sin. Cain and Abel and the first murder. Eventually, the entire human race, but for one man and his family.


God chose to save Noah and his family from the mass punishment he would deal upon the planet. Eight people, seven of every breed of clean animal, and two of every breed of unclean animal were to be spared. Everything and everyone else would perish.


For nearly 350 days, the Earth was uninhabitable -- buried under the waters of the Great Flood. After the water receded and the Earth dried, Noah and his companions -- human and animal alike -- were tasked to repopulate the world. But first, Noah built an altar and worshipped God, sacrificing the seventh of every clean animal breed to the God who had spared him.


God was happy. After generations of disappointment with His children, God was happy with Noah. So happy that He gave them a promise to never destroy the world again.


Again God dealt out justice, and delivered mercy. Again he practiced discipline, and showed grace. Again we were undeserving, but he loved us anyway.


PRAYER:
Father, Thank You for Your love, Your mercy, Your grace. Thank You for never holding a grudge. Thank You for Your provision, Your protection, and Your promise. May Your rainbow be a symbol not only of Your promise, but of Your undying and undeserved love for us.

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