A Daily Walk

John Randall: When it comes to seeking the will of God for your life, it's okay to knock on some doors, open some windows. Check it out. Pray, seek the Lord. Show me, Lord, what do you want me? What do you want me to see? It's important.

Guest (Male): Hi there, again, welcome to A Daily Walk. Today, Pastor John Randall resumes his chapter-by-chapter study of Genesis. We'll be covering chapters 8 and 9 during today's program. Noah, his family, and the animals have been cooped up in the ark for just over a year. The rain has stopped, the waters are receding, and it's just about time to step out on dry land. That's where we'll pick up the story today. Here is John with the message recorded at Calvary South OC.

John Randall: If you have your Bibles with you tonight, if you would open with me to the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. We're picking up in chapter 8 of Genesis here on Wednesday nights. If you're joining us for the first time, or perhaps you're joining us online, welcome.

We go through the Bible chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Here on Wednesday nights, we have more of a survey of scripture where we cover a little bit more than we would, let's say, on a Sunday night, which is a more in-depth look. Currently, we are in the book of Romans. Then Sunday morning, also in another book of the Bible, the book of 1 Corinthians. Making our way through God's word.

That's kind of what we do here. We go through the Bible, and the Bible goes through us. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This is how we grow and how we encounter God. God reveals himself through his word. This is how we get to know the Savior that we love. All of scripture is relevant and applicable, as we'll see even tonight. From the Old to the New Testament, it is inspired, it is inerrant, it is God-breathed. It is God's word.

Genesis chapter 8 tonight. You know that when Adam and Eve sinned, there were several devastating consequences that followed. They were permanently removed from the Garden of Eden. Their descendants were born with a sin nature, and death passed to all men as a result of their sin. The longevity that they formally enjoyed began to deteriorate more rapidly.

There was also a population explosion, as we read, as mankind began to fill the earth. But with the increase of humanity also came the increase of wickedness. The Bible says in Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5 that the Lord saw the wickedness of man, that it was great, and that every intent of his heart was evil continually. Then it says that this intention of evil manifested itself in violence that covered the earth. In Genesis chapter 6, verse 12, we read that the earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence.

The Lord was grieved by man's sin, and judgment was soon to follow. Yet in the midst of a rebellious and wicked world that was awaiting coming destruction, there was a man—a man, singular—Noah, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord made a promise to Noah and to his family to preserve them from coming judgment. Noah was then commanded by the Lord to build an ark and to place two of every kind of animal on it.

By faith and obedience, the Bible says that Noah began to construct this large vessel. It took 120 years to complete. During that time, he wasn't just building; the Bible tells us that he was also a preacher of righteousness, warning the world of a coming flood. When the ark was completed and the animals were brought on board, the Lord instructed Noah to come into the ark. Once inside, it says that the Lord closed the door, and the waters above and the waters below began to flood the entire earth.

Now, Noah, along with his immediate family and all the animals that were on the ark, weren't just on the ark for 40 days and 40 nights. When you do the math and the numbers that are listed here for us in the Genesis account, you come to realize that they spent over a year on the ark—371 or so days, depending on which type of calendar that you would use. That's a long time to be in a storm. Over a year. Thankfully, storms don't last forever. They come to an end.

Perhaps you're in the midst of one tonight, wondering when mine's going to end. Soon. Noah was preserved by the Lord. The Lord kept him going. He was trusting in God, and God would fulfill the promises that he made. That brings us now to Genesis chapter 8, beginning in verse 1. The first thing that we consider is God remembered Noah. Look at verse 1: "Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided."

"The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the 150 days, the waters decreased. Then the ark rested in the seventh month, on the 17th day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the 10th month, and in the 10th month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen."

Now, when you read that God remembered Noah, it doesn't mean God forgot about him. "Oh my goodness, that guy on the boat! Quick! We forgot! There's one guy left." It doesn't mean that, like suddenly God came to and realized, "Oops." No, no. Actually, the word when it says that God remembered him means to pay attention to, to fulfill a promise, and act on behalf of someone.

There are times in scripture when you read of some of the Lord's servants wondering if the Lord forgot about them. Have you ever had that thought? You're not alone. In fact, the psalmist said to the Lord, "Hey, why do you stand so far off, Lord? And why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Seems like you've forgotten about me." I think of the Apostle Paul that spoke of his trials, and he said that at one point, he actually despaired of life. He was just ready to give up completely, just done with it all.

It seemed as though the Lord was absent in the midst of his circumstances, as if God had forgotten about him. Friends, I want you to know something tonight. The Lord never forgets about you. He promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us and that he would be with us always, even to the end of the age. Listen to this passage of scripture and be encouraged. Isaiah chapter 49 and verse 15. The Lord asks the question through his prophet: "Can a woman forget her nursing child and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands, and your walls are continually before me."

The closest relationship is a mother and her child. Could a mother actually forget the child that's attached to her? The answer is no. How could you forget? The Lord says even if they could, I'll never forget you because I've inscribed you on the palms of my hands. Oh, how that speaks to me of Jesus. The scars that he bears inscribed upon his hands. How could he forget? There's a constant reminder. He's also God, but he knows. He doesn't forget.

God remembered Noah, and it says that he caused the waters to subside. In fact, there are several words that are used here. It says that God made a wind to pass over, and you notice the word subside, stop, restrain, recede, decrease, and brought the ark to a place of rest. In other words, God eventually brought the storm to an end, and they were at a place of rest.

Storms don't last forever. When you're in the midst of it, you think it is going to last forever. When's it going to stop? Like the disciples in the midst of a storm. Remember going to the other side? They said, "Lord, don't you care that we're perishing? Can you wake up from your nap and maybe help us bail out water? We're going to die. We're going to perish."

No, we think the Lord is absent or he's not aware. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 10, "But may the God of all grace who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, he will perfect, establish, and strengthen you." Quick question: how long is a while? It's different for everybody. What's a while for me may not be a while for you. It's just a period of time. But after that, when you come through it to the other side, the Lord says, "I'm going to perfect you, establish, strengthen, settle you." You're going to be at rest.

So, it says that God remembered Noah. Then in verse 4, it says the ark rested in the seventh month, on the 17th day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. When the ark finally came to its resting place, it landed on Mount Ararat, which is 16,254 feet high and is located today in modern-day Turkey. Now, over the years, there have been many attempts to locate the ark. I remember growing up and hearing this since I was a child.

I remember being at a camp as a child and a lady that I met had friends who had gone on expeditions, and she also participated in the expedition and was sure she had a piece of it, possibly gopher wood. I don't know if it was actually gopher wood or not. I don't even know what gopher wood is. I don't know that I've ever held a piece of it in my hands. But nonetheless, there are people that said, "We found the ark." They do this documentary. Or you hear a few years later, "Hey, we discovered the ark," or there's some footage that came out on YouTube. I don't know if they've found it.

I do know that there was an ark. That I know for sure. Whether they find it or not doesn't change my faith in God. Jesus validated the story of Noah. That's good enough for me. But nonetheless, people have gone on and looked for the ark. But we see that the Lord remembered Noah. But the second thing I see here is that God rewarded Noah. He rewarded Noah's faith.

It says in verse 6: "So it came to pass at the end of 40 days that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. He also sent out from him a dove to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and so she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and drew her into the ark to himself. And he waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark. And the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth. And Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. So he waited another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore."

As Noah and his family are preparing to exit the ark, there are a number of steps that Noah took before their departure off of the boat. First of all, it says that he opened the window. He opened the window. You know what? You're never going to be able to see unless you open the window. I mean, how do I know if it's... I can't see through. I've got to open the window. I point that out. It might seem elementary, but how can you see if you're not looking? How can you be aware of what's going to happen if you're not discerning, if you're not actually seeking it out? So, he opens the window in order to see for observation purposes.

Folks, when it comes to seeking the will of God for your life, it's okay to knock on some doors, open some windows. Check it out. Pray, seek the Lord. Show me, Lord, what do you want me to do? What do you want me to see? It's important. But then the next thing he does, not only does he open the window, but he sends out the birds. How are we going to know if the water's dried? He doesn't have a dinghy. He's got just one big boat, and he's not going to go out and check. He sends out birds. One was a raven, and the other was a dove.

Now, when he sends out the raven, the raven is a carrion bird. It eats flesh. So, the raven is going from probably carcass to carcass, looking for a place to rest, feeding itself on the floating remains. It never came back to Noah in the ark. He thought, "You know what? I shouldn't have sent a raven. Let me get a clean bird." So, he grabs a dove. By the way, the Spirit saw fit to say that it was a female dove. So, he takes this dove, sends out this clean bird, which by the way, these doves would be used for sacrifices later on.

But the dove goes out and finds no resting place and then returns back to the ark. One went out and didn't come back, the other went out and came back because there was no place to rest. When I think about the raven, just from a perspective of the fact that it lived on the flesh, it reminds me of the flesh. The flesh. It's never satisfied. It never returns. It's always moving, it's always constant. There's never any rest. It's just always on the move and it doesn't return to the ark. It feeds on the flesh. Constant motion.

By the way, if you didn't know this, the flesh is never satisfied. It'll always want more. The flesh is never content. If you feed the flesh, it'll never be enough. On the other hand, the dove, symbolic even at the baptism of Jesus of the work of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus came up out of the water, you remember it says that the Spirit descended as if a dove had landed upon him. The Spirit of God seen as a picture of a dove. It looks for a place to rest, doesn't find one, and comes back into the ark.

I realize as I think about this in a symbolic fashion that the work of the Spirit accomplishes far more than the work of the flesh. Always. The work of the Spirit. Noah opened the window, he sent out the birds, and then the third thing we see is he waited. He had to wait. You'd think he'd waited enough. I mean, so he waited another seven, and then waited another, and then waited again. Oh, it's hard to wait.

But he didn't give up waiting. He sent out another dove. He sent it out a second time. This time it returned with an olive leaf in its mouth, meaning things were changing. Something's happening. He's waiting, he's still seeking, the windows are still open, and finally something is beginning to change. Sometimes that's just how it is in the will of God. You just keep moving, you just keep going, and something starts to change. You've been praying and you've been waiting. You don't see anything yet.

The easy thing to do would be to say, "Well, I'm just not going to send out any more birds." Why? Did God tell you to stop praying? Did he tell you to stop seeking? No. Then don't. Keep on going. Now things are beginning to change and he's finding out that the waters are receding. Noah could see now that the Lord was working. It's a small thing. It's a leaf. He's like, "That's good enough for me. God is working."

Sometimes God sends us leaves. "I just need, Lord, just show me something." Gideon had a fleece. "Lord, I want it wet this day, I want it dry the other day, and then reverse it just so I know it's you." And God did it. "Lord, just show me something. Give me something to go on. I just need to know that you're here, that you are working, that I'm on the right track." You know, the Lord's faithful to do that. He has ways of doing that.

Whatever it is you need the Lord to do to show you that it's him, he does it. It's different for you than it is for me. I have seen in my own life over the years, when I have needed the Lord to show me what to do—like shut the door or open the door or leave it open a crack or let me kick it open—whatever, show me, and God does. Then when he does, you're like, "Oh, that's probably not the Lord. That's probably not him." I know I prayed about it and I even asked other people to pray about it and I've been seeking the Lord every day and I've even fasted and prayed... "That couldn't be him." Hey, take the leaf, man! Take it, take it! It's the Lord. He's working. Don't lose sight.

When it comes to walking by faith, that can be the most difficult part—waiting on the Lord's timing. I read this morning in my devotions, Oswald Chambers said God will bring the vision he has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on his timing. Never try to help God fulfill his word. He'll do it. You've just got to wait. That's the tough part, right?

Now he sends out the dove a third time. You know what this speaks to me of? Consistency. Perseverance. Consistency. Don't stop. Don't stop. "I sent out two doves... Should I send out a third one?" Yes, send out a third one! And so he does. He's waiting. This time the dove doesn't return, and Noah realized it wasn't long before they would be off the ark. God is doing something.

In the Christian life, again, it's like that. You have the promise of God: "I'm going to get you through this storm." But at the same time, you're in a holding pattern waiting and you send out the bird or you knock on the door or you make the call and you wait for the olive leaf. "Could this be it?" Then you're learning to wait and then God comes through and then you're moving forward.

It reminds me of Elijah, the prophet. In 1 Kings, when he confronted the prophets of Baal there on Mount Carmel and said, "Whatever God answers by fire, that was the God that they would serve." Of course, the prophets of Baal went through all of their worship and preparing and there was no answer. Elijah repairs the altar, digs a trench, pours the water, puts the ox in place, prays. Fire comes down, consumes everything. They slay the prophets of Baal. It hadn't rained in three years. Elijah then gets on his knees and he starts praying for it to rain.

He sent his servant to the horizon. "Do you see anything?" "I don't see anything." Second time, "Do you see anything?" "I don't see anything." Third time, "Do you see anything?" "No, I just said I didn't see anything." Fourth time, "Do you see anything?" "Pretty sure, no." Fifth time, "Do you see anything?" "Again, negative." Sixth time, "Do you see anything? Look again." "Elijah, man... No." "Go again!" Seventh time. "Do you see anything?" "I see a cloud the size of a man's fist."

That's it! It's going to rain! Get down the hill, it's going to pour! Okay, seven times. Seven times. We get to five, three, two... done. Why? Don't give up so easy. Keep praying. How about the disciples? Fished all night, came back in. Jesus was there. "You guys catch anything?" Obviously, no. "We came up empty." Jesus said, "Can I borrow your boat?" He borrowed their boat and he preached a sermon from the boat.

Then afterwards, he said, "Hey, guys, why don't let's go out again." Immediately Peter said, "Lord... Carpenter, fisherman... Love you." I just imagine him saying that. I'm assuming a creative liberty there, but please don't be upset with me. But you could imagine, knowing Peter's mentality. He even says it, "Lord, we've done this all night. We're washing the nets." Last thing you want to do if you've caught nothing and spent all night is "Let's go back out again and try it again." I don't want to do that.

They go back out. He says, "Nevertheless at your word, let the nets out." They're breaking! There's so much fish. Peter gets on his face before the Lord and says, "Depart from me, I'm a sinful man." Jesus said, "From now on, you will catch men." What if you didn't paddle out again? What if you didn't do it? What would you have missed had you not persevered through it? Why did you give up so quick? What if you stopped talking to them? What if you stopped praying through it? Don't worry about the "what ifs," just keep doing it until God says "no."

Guest (Male): You're listening to Pastor John Randall on A Daily Walk. He'll be right back with more from Genesis. Today we notice the Lord remembered Noah and rewarded his faith. To hear this message from our through-the-Bible study again, either go to adailywalk.org or oneplace.com. By the way, our recent programs are accessible through the website at adailywalk.org and at oneplace.com or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear Pastor John's messages shortly after they're delivered by getting our church app. It's free, just do a search for Calvary South OC.

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John Randall: Sometimes you have to persevere. You've got to stick it out. You've got to fight it out. You've got to stay in there. You just can't quit. That may be a word for some of you in your marriage. You need to work it out. You need to get through this. You need to not stop. You need to persevere. Maybe you're praying for somebody, don't stop praying for them. Listen, there's part of the Christian life is perseverance. It's not easy, but it's necessary.

Guest (Male): We'll save the rest of this message, "Waiting for the Storm to Pass," for next time. We'll see you back here tomorrow. This program is brought to you by Calvary South OC and made possible through your generous support.