(Genesis 6:7-8) ⁷So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”  ⁸But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.)                                                                                                

(Genesis 7:17-24) ¹⁷ For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. ¹⁹ They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. ²⁰ The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. ²¹ Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. ²² Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. ²³ Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. ²⁴ The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.                                                                                          

(Genesis 8:2) Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky.

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Winds blast gusts at 90mph;

Trees bend and branches crack;

Lightning flashes across the night sky;

 Thunder rumbles and grumbles behind;

Clocks flash. Time stops. Darkness comes.

Our power grid has failed us.

Where is the refuge we need?

Is there an ark? Is there a Noah?

We experience storms in life that seem catastrophic when we are in the epicenter—in the midst of the figurative lightning, thunder, winds, and darkness. Time seems to STOP right there, and we are stuck in the storm. Where do we turn? Our little ray, like a penlight, barely pierces the blackness. We fumble and stumble around, looking for a refuge or an escape. But there is no man-made ark. Noah is not here. And we are not there.

What we may have regarded as catastrophic disasters in our life at the time may be seen in retrospect, through much thought and prayer, as times when we did not turn to the ever-present Refuge. There is no need for the ark ever again. God is our refuge, our Light to find our way out of the darkness and storms we face. With His comfort, guidance, and peace, these seasons of life are not catastrophic. He is the power grid that never fails us.

¹² “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:12-13)

We don’t need to find a “Noah.” We should be the person who “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” as we realize we must turn to Him and trust Him. It doesn’t mean we won’t endure the storm. It doesn’t mean we won’t be tossed about and drenched. It doesn’t mean we won’t be struck or hear the rumbles against us. It doesn’t mean we won’t bend—but it does mean we won’t crack and remain broken. Our darkness will be dispelled by His Light.

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  (2 Corinthians 4:6-9)

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

(Psalm 46:1-3)

 (Sharon G. Tate blog 09/02/18) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word