Tuesday 04 December 2007

Background

This is a much-loved part of the ark story: when the birds weresent out to test whether the water was receding and the rainbowthat appeared when Noah, his family and all the animals left theark. It has been told countless times in Sunday Schools and JuniorChurch.

God does not forget us. We have no need to be impatient. Noah wasnot in the ark for 40 days and nights - that was only how long itrained. If you add up the time that it took for the water to goaway and for the land to be ready for them all to leave the arkthere would have been months of waiting. God made sure that thetime was right, and Noah and his family had to be patient.

And then there was God's covenant - a promise for all time and apromise for all people. With this week's theme of the inclusion ofeveryone in the kingdom and the importance of the Church ensuringit is a blueprint for the kingdom by including everyone, we canlook to God's promises at the end of a testing time. We can takeGod's covenant for each of us as God does not leave any of usout.

To Ponder

Do we feel that God has sometimes forgotten us?Are we in that dark place waiting for a sign and the time to emergeinto the light?

Are there people in our churches who we should besupporting as they are feeling that God has forgotten them?