HOPE 1 - We can have hope because God is faithful.

 

Hope 1 - English files

Hoffnung 1 - German files

Devotional Thoughts about Genesis 6:5-9:17

I’ve got to admire Noah, who was told of God’s plan to destroy the people and was then given a big role to play in preserving living things to repopulate the earth. I’m sure “moved with fear” (Hebrews 11:7) describes his response very aptly, both in the sense of reverence for God and of plain survival fear. At every step he just did what God told him, and there’s no record of objections or even questions.

2 Peter 2:5 tells us he was a preacher of righteousness, so his condemnation of the world consisted of his message plus his practical response to God’s warning long before any rain was in the forecast. Then came the long trial of cabin fever in a pitching ship under nonstop rain.

But God was faithful and turned off the rain when promised, made the water recede and even parked the ark for eventual “deplaning”. After being cooped-up in the ship for more than a year, they were finally able get out and make a new start on the earth.

The rainbow is actually a biblical symbol of God’s covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:8-17). Whenever we see one, we can remember His promise that a flood on that scale was a one-time-occurrence. And sure enough, it hasn’t been repeated over thousands of years. The recurring seasons also testify of God’s faithfulness (Genesis 8:22).

Lord, thank you for the hope that I can always count on You, no matter what’s going on around me. 

Downloading lesson files

If you're interested in the lesson files, simply click on the appropriate link above to download them in the desired language. See the Informational Pages in the right column for more about the lesson series. The next four blogs feature further lessons on the topic Hope.