In Genesis 8:1 we read “Then God remembered Noah …” I don’t know about you, but I find those words very encouraging. Just as God remembered Noah and his family in the ark, resting upon the floodwaters, He remembers you and me as well. He will never forget us.
In verse 5 we read “And the floodwaters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.”
Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter, in his devotional, wrote “The tenth month here corresponds with our January; so the first day is our January 1st. Those mountain tops speak to us on the first day of the year. What will the new year bring of joy or sorrow, achievement or frustration, health or sickness, good or ill?”
I realize that our January 1st is passed, but in some ways, we have a “new beginning”, in a new location, in a new facility. The pandemic is lessening and I see ministry at Jubilee rising more vibrant and promising than ever. I am praying daily “LORD, show us Your dreams and desires for Jubilee. I am more excited than ever. As the ark soon came to rest on solid ground, Jubilee is resting on the solid presence, promises, and power of our God.
In 2 Peter 1:3-4 we read “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
As Noah looked out the window of the ark and saw those mountain tops come into focus, I wonder what thoughts filled his heart and mind. He had been obedient in building the ark and God remembered him and his family and spared them as the floodwaters came. Now, after many months on the water, the floodwaters are beginning to subside and God has a new beginning in store for them.
What are some of the precious ‘Precious Promises’ waiting for us from our gracious God?
1. There is the promise of forgiveness for our sins. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
2. There is the promise of strength for those who have no power. “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” (Isaiah 40:29)
3. There are special blessings from God to those who live godly lives. “For You bless the godly, O LORD; You surround them with your shield of love.” (Psalm 5:12)
4. There is the promise of hope for the dying. “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down.” Blessed are those who die in the LORD from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them.” (Rev. 14:13)
5. There is the promise of His presence when we are facing threatening situations. “So, we can say with confidence, ‘The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me.’” (Heb.13:6)
6. There is the promise of resurrection after death. “Jesus told her ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this Martha?’” (John 11:25-26) We will not lie cold and lifeless in some grave. When Jesus comes, we are told the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thess. 4:16)
7. There is the promise of spiritual possibilities. “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
8. There is the promise of Christian privileges. We can have fellowship with the Father and His Son. “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3)
9. There is the promise of challenging opportunities. Listen to Paul in 1 Cor.16:9, “There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.” In 2 Corinthians 2:12 he wrote, “When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the LORD opened a door of opportunity for me.” I believe He is opening doors of opportunity for Jubilee that are far beyond what we have seen thus far.
10. There is the promise of His return to take His bride, the church, to be with Him forever. “There is more than enough room in My Father’s house. If it were not so, would I have told you I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:2-3)
In closing, let me share this. Noah’s ark is a type of our Savior. Noah looked out and saw the mountain peaks of possibilities. As Christians, we are in Christ. He is our Ark of safety and we can look out from Him, with whom all things are possible, and see His promises begin to be fulfilled.
Brothers and sisters, let us not limit God with unbelief. Rather, with hearts full of faith, and our eyes wide open to the possibilities He will set before us, let us reach out and take hold of the opportunities He will set before us. He will lead the way. Ours is to follow individually and together.
For His glory,
Pastor Leonard
