The Father’s Flooding Faithfulness
This year, we're collaborating with writers across the Augustine Collective, a network of student-led Christian journals, to bring you a series of short devotional articles during this season of Lent, the 40-day period prior to Easter. Find this series also published by UChicago's CANA Journal and UC Berkeley's TAUG.
by hannah wang
Lately, our campus has been flooding. By flooding, I mean there has been water leaking out of the ceilings of multiple buildings, relocating physics classes, sophomore dormitory residents, and Claritas meetings alike. Whether these floods are physical, emotional, or filled with sticks and stones, they can often be scary and overwhelming to deal with. Now, what if God told you He would send a massive flood that upturned the world you’ve known?
When the Lord told Noah that He would send a flood to destroy all people on earth and all things that Noah might have known, it was for a scary and overwhelming good. The flood destroyed rampant sin and corruption, while also protecting the earth the Lord had created, saving those who were righteous, and making things new again.
Although we do not know if Noah responded verbally to the Lord’s commands to build the ark for the impending flood, we do know that he acted in obedience:
“Noah did everything just as God commanded him. [...] And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.” [1]
Through the hundred years of building the ark and the many months of being inside it, even if he or others had doubt, Noah was continuously and consistently faithful, trusting that God had a larger plan and would keep his family safe. And the Lord did, as He always does, have a greater plan. Hand in hand with Noah’s faithfulness was the covenant that the Lord established, not only with Noah and his family but everlasting with all living creatures on the earth. He said, “I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” [2]
I guess you won’t have to worry about God sending a flood to destroy the earth. There will be times, however, when there are other floods sent your way, seemingly to destroy your plans or relationships. Sometimes the pipes of your mind will threaten to burst, and from the ceilings of your eyelids water will leak. And yet, in times like these, we can rejoice in gratitude and hope, turning to Noah’s example of faithfulness and obedience, and even more so, we can remember the faithfulness of God, our Father, who does everything for a greater purpose and for good.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your faithfulness and the everlasting covenants you make as with Noah, amidst the flood. We thank you for being a kind and compassionate, patient and gracious, loving God. All things are made new in you, Lord, and we praise you for all you do is good. Lead us into your truth and teach us, for you are the God of our salvation; in you have we trusted all the day long (Psalm 25:4). Help us to remember that all the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies (Psalm 25:9). Yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Hannah is a junior studying astronomy at Cornell University.
[1] Genesis 6:22, 7:5 (NIV)
[2] Genesis 9:11 (NIV)