The last few years have been incredibly hard for my family – immediate and extended.
In the last 3 years, John and I got married, changed jobs and moved to a different state, dealt with insane landlords and a resulting lawsuit, had a very surprise pregnancy, and had to go to court over said lawsuit. We’ve had 2 deaths in the family, 2 different bypass surgeries (both very sudden), my mother had severe heart issues, and I’ve seen other members have some very difficult financial struggles.
To say the least, I am so thankful that this year has started off better. My brother in law got a great paying new job, my daughter is turning 2 this spring, my mother’s heart issues are under control, and we are well on our way to selling the house we own in Oklahoma.
Things are finally looking up. The storm clouds are receding and sun rays and rainbows are appearing in the sky.
I just want to stand on the rooftops and shout praises to the Lord for bringing us out of the crazy life flood.
The church my husband and I have attended a few times is currently studying the story of Noah.
And truthfully, when I first heard that was the topic, I kind of scoffed. I mean, I’ve been going to church since before I was born. I KNOW the story of Noah…or so I thought.
So many aspects of the story are not taught (or if taught, are probably not understood) in children’s church. So many things I thought I knew – well, it just isn’t so.
One thing I had never considered was the silence between God and Noah.
God told Noah to build the Ark and Noah obeyed – building, enduring ridicule, and loading the Ark. But, can you imagine doing something so extreme because you were commanded by your boss, and then your boss disappears for over a year? No chance to second guess, no chance to ask questions, nothing.
This was how it was with Noah. He heard from the Lord, then waited 378 days to hear from Him again.
Yet, still, Noah trusted and praised.
Then, came time to get off the Ark.
Imagine living in a beautiful place, no mountains, no valleys, no drastic weather changes. Gorgeous.
Your own Bora Bora.
You get on a boat, only to finally land in a place as desolate and volatile as the Sahara.
Even in the midst of desolation, in the midst of the evidences of destruction, Noah still built an alter to worship his God. He offered a sacrifice to a God he hadn’t heard from in over a year.
And not only did he worship, but he offered a sacrifice – one of every clean animal and bird. That is a lot when you only had 7 of each to start.
For Noah, that was a costly sacrifice.
That was a lavish sacrifice.
That was LAVISH WORSHIP.
Noah couldn’t afford to worship the Lord the way he did.
Also, I’m sure the sacrifice was not under the circumstances Noah would have wanted.
But he worshiped.
I know many times, we did not feel that God was blessing us, smiling down on us, or even talking to us.
So many times, if felt as if we had been forgotten. We wondered why we were going through our flood.
And honestly, we still don’t know why. And we probably never will.
But, regardless of our circumstances, we believed that the floods would recede. That rainbows and sunshine would come again.
And in the midst of the desolation and the trials we went through, we worshiped.
You may not hear from Him when you want and you may not see evidence of His work in your life. But, just like Noah, your circumstances should not dictate when you worship. You shouldn’t wait until things are exactly was you want them to be.
Because, even in the long days, He can be trusted. Even when the heavens are silent, He can be trusted.
Even in the midst of shortage or new environments, He deserves lavish worship.
Because in the midst of living life, God provides loving care.
His grace is sufficient.
He will never fail.
joy in these moments 