Storm Survival
Scripture Reading — Genesis 9:8-17
"Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." Genesis 9:15
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Tsunami. Hurricane. Earthquake. Famine. Flood. All of these have been present in our world and live in our memories.
How do we relate God to such events? It can be tempting to say they are displays of God's judgment, but Jesus himself warned his disciples to show mercy and compassion rather than self-righteous judgment in times of disaster (Luke 13:1-5).
In the storms of life, we need to remember that God always desires to save. God saved humanity through Noah and his family. God saved the animals, a gift of his creation, through the ark. God washed the creation in the flood and provided renewal. God was and is at work to save during storms. God is into storm survival; God is the God of grace.
The rainbow became a symbol of God's promise to continue to protect life and the earth. The rainbow became a symbol of God's presence in the storms of life. The rainbow became a symbol of God's promise from generation to generation.
Will storms still occur? Absolutely. Will God leave us during those storms? Absolutely not. The promise given to Noah is a promise that still stands for us. God will remember the living creatures of every kind on the earth--including us.
Dear God, may the storms of life remind us to seek shelter not in our strength but in yours. May your peace remain. May your Word remain. In Jesus' name, Amen.
About the author — Jul Medenblik
Rev. Jul Medenblik is a former attorney who was called to pastoral ministry and became the church-planting pastor of a congregation in New Lenox, Illinois. Since 2011 he has served as the seventh president of Calvin Theological Seminary, which, together with Calvin University, is celebrating 150 years of God’s faithfulness in their history as the educational institutions of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (see calvinseminary.edu/150th). Jul and his wife, Jackie, have been married for over 40 years and are blessed with two adult children and a son-in-law.
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