Life After the Storm

So, I am starting again with my bible reading and decided that there was no place better than to start from the beginning. Genesis sets the foundation for the works of God and his mercy. Here is just a piece of information I received from Bible Study last night that I feel compelled to share with all of you.

Alright, if you can recall that in Genesis 6, God commands Noah to build and ark.
... Now if you remember, God is displeased with everyone at this point because they are being disobedient to His word. God had planned to destroy EVERYTHING that He had created BUT Noah found grace with the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:7-8). So God goes to Noah and informs Him that He is going to destroy everything on earth and instructed him to build this ark. God gives Noah step by step instructions to follow in how to build this ark. God tells Noah that he must make one window and one door for this ark (Genesis 6:16). Once the ark is built, God tells Noah to get two of each animal and seven of each type of bird... God instructed Noah to get his family and all the animals and get on the boat. For forty days and nights, there was a rain and it wiped out everything on earth. Then Noah sends out a raven after the flood subsides, the raven never returns. He sends out a dove and the dove comes back because he has no where to plant his feet because the water hadn't completely dried up. After seven days, he sends the dove out again, this time it comes back with an olive leaf in its mouth. Noah sent it out again after seven days and the dove did not return this time.

Ok...What does all this mean?

Here goes. Noah followed God's direct instructions. He did not deviate nor question God's commands. That one window that he was instructed to put in, ended up being his window of opportunity after the storm was over. God knew what He was doing when he was telling Noah what to do. The storm does not sneak up on God therefore, God prepares us with the everything that we need in order to prepare for that storm, so when it hits, we will not be completely faithless or even afraid of our circumstances. Now, with this window of opportunity, God provided it, but He did not tell Noah when to open it, Noah waited til the time was right and decided to open it himself. We have the capabilities and abilities to pursue that window of opportunity that God gives us...Thats one of the reasons we all have different talents and contributions to provide to the world because we were all MADE WITH A PURPOSE. Stop waiting on someone to give you a chance of opportunity and CREATE ONE FOR YOURSELF.

With that, when Noah let out the raven and the raven did not come back, it was a sign that the raven was uncommitted, flying high, and had no intentions on giving back to the person (community) who kept him so that one day he would be able to fly high without a care in the world. Noah did not get upset about the raven not coming back. One thing God does is giveth. But He also taketh away. In other words, just because something or someone is no longer a part of your life, God doesn't do this out of His own satisfaction, He does this FOR YOU. Storms come to separate you from emotional baggage that you may be carrying around. See what God did for Noah. He took away the raven, and gave him a dove.

Now, when Noah let out the dove, it came back when it didn't have a place to put his feet down. Noah reached out and guided it back into the ark but seven days later, set him out again. This time it brought back a small olive leaf. That leaf represented proof of life after the storm, hope, anticipation, and expectation. With that being said, we need to be patient with ourselves, our situations, and other people because nothing happens overnight. God repositions you over and over so when the storm is over, you will be in the position to serve your purpose. God wants us to use our advantages for the advantage of the disadvantaged...He blesses us, so why don't we bless other people with our blessings?
See, it's the small things in life that count. Seriously...If we become that little olive leaf, our small moves are just as significant as the next big move.

I will leave you with these last words:::
*The other purpose that this window served was, when Noah looked out, the only way he could look was UP. To the heavens, to God. Yes, that window of opportunity, its there, you just have to open it.**


And the one door: Remember that we all must enter through the same gates...Since there is no such thing as competition UP THERE, why not help someone in their quest to enter in the same gates that we hope to enter through.