No Afterthought--Gen. 8

Waters raged on the face of the earth for days...and days...and days. Water so high that it rose 15 cubits above the highest mountain peaks. Imagine Everest covered with water--so covered, in fact, that the water is 270 feet deeper than the mountain is tall!

And Noah, his family, and a slough of animals rode the waves in a structure made of wood and pitch, preserved from death only by "angels that excel in strength."

They came to rest in the mountains of Ararat. The raven was sent out--the dove was sent out. She returned twice; the second time bringing a bit of an olive tree branch before disappearing from Noah's care for good. Obviously, the water was abated. But Noah still waited.

He took the covering off the ark. Yes, he could see dry land. But he waited.

And waited.

It was not until God opened the door and bade him come out that Noah ventured onto this new ground. It wasn't a pleasant Eden, like before. No indeed, it was a frightening place. There were dangers there. But it was ground--light, clean air. And Noah's heart swelled with thankfulness.

But get this. Noah had waited all this time in the depths of a dark and probably musty-smelling ark. It was a place of safety for him, of a certain; but he longed for deliverance.

He waited until God opened the door for his deliverance.

And then… "before preparing a house for himself, he built an altar to God." PP 123

Before anything else, Noah gave thanks. He rejoiced in the Lord's goodness, in His mercy and love. And he gave. "His stock of cattle was small, and had been preserved at great expense; yet he cheerfully gave a part to the Lord as an acknowledgement that all was His." PP 123

Some of us know what it's like to be imprisoned in a dark place. Oh, it may be safe--and it may be filled with good things, with ones we love. But there's something more...a deliverance that we're longing for. And it's a deliverance that God wants to give us. But not in our time. In His.

So we wait.

And wait.

Until God opens the door and bids us walk through.

What rejoicing! What thrill and happiness!

I should know. I've been there before.

And at the same time, the first thing that Noah did was visibly and openly express his gratitude to God. He gave back to God part of what he had gained by deliverance in his thankfulness.

That is a testimony. And a reproof. And a reminder.

A testimony because it has taught me something important.

A reproof because I had the opportunity to do that very thing of my own accord...and didn't.

And a reminder that when deliverance comes again--in His time--I'll have something to be doing.

Giving.

It wasn't an afterthought with Noah.

Nor shall it be with me.

Father in heaven, remind me to always be giving thanks; whether in the midst of deliverance or no. Fill my heart with gratitude for what you are going to do, and what You are doing right now. May this joy, this giving, this thankfulness, be no afterthought with me.