We're headed to Rome!

My Sunday School lesson is on Noah this week. I teach 3, 4, and 5 year-olds, so we keep it pretty basic. As I’ve been prepping and thinking about Noah, God’s been encouraging me and tucking truths down in my heart. Isn’t he so good that he meets us right where we are, in our normal everyday lives.

The Bible tells us in Matthew 24:37-39 “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” This scripture always reminds me of 2 Timothy 3:1-4, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

In Genesis 6 it says, “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil at all times. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.”

BUT… Noah. He was found righteous, and he walked with God! I never thought much about Noah. He was the guy we learned about in Sunday School with the Ark and all the animals, but my sister changed my opinion of him. She was in a discipleship program after high school, and one of the questions on her application asked who her favorite person in the Bible was. She answered Noah.

I thought it was interesting, until I heard her answer. She said, Noah stood in truth and righteousness. He did what God told him to do even when everyone mocked and laughed at him. I’ve never looked at him the same. It’s why we named our oldest son Noah.

It's believed it took Noah around 100 years to build the ark. 100 years! He wasn’t located near an ocean. Logically why would he need a boat? No wonder people thought he’d lost his mind. But for 100 years he continued to work and build. God had given him a word.

It’s made me ponder, how many times has God given us a promise, a word, but then life starts to get hard. The “waves” in our life seem to be pushing us further and further down into the abyss, and we forget. We lose sight of what he’s spoken to us.

A few weeks ago, this song started playing on my station. MercyMe - Heart Beats For Your Good (Official Live Video). It’s become my Lifesong.

Remind me that this hurricane is nothing but a breeze to You 'Cause I'm afraid that every wave's 'bout to break this boat in two Oh, Lord, oh, how I need You Jesus, Jesus, I need You, whoa

I may never know the answers to

How You work, yet You always do

Your heart beats for my good

So my heart beats for Your good

Even when the storm is raging through

In the middle of it all, You prove

Your heart beats for my good

So my heart beats for Your good

It's gonna be, it's gonna be worth it

'Cause everything, everything's working

For your good, for your good

This past week I was having a day. Let’s be honest it’s been a few days. My mental and emotional health has been maxed. I found myself saying, “God, I need to hear from you!” Later that day, I looked down at the amassing pile of papers my kids had thrown on my desk and saw this.

As I began reading tears filled my eyes.

“There is a raft of wood which saved me when my strength was fast failing; there is that Almighty Raft which upholds me day by day, and which I can cling to at all times, - even the Lord Jesus Christ. You and I will indeed feel the truth of what we say when we cry on behalf of ourselves and all men, ‘STICK TO THE RAFT!’”

Friends, he’s telling us to, “STICK TO THE RAFT!” Don’t give up! Cling to him. He’s our life preserver!

As I read this, I said, “I am God! But I need to see an island through the waves!” I feel like Paul in Acts after their shipwreck. I just want to see my Malta. Get a little reprieve! Acts 28

But God brought me back to a sermon I listened to earlier this year and so clearly I heard, “We’re not going to the island, Heather! We’re headed to Rome!” Rome was Paul’s final destination. The last leg of his race.

Yesterday as I was driving, I took a deep breath to clear the stress of the day, and I looked up. The late afternoon fall sun was shining, but there beside it through a hole in the clouds was a rainbow! It’s our promise, God’s covenant!

Have you ever noticed rainbows don’t show up after the storm. It’s always still raining. But through the clouds they appear, shining brightly. A whisper to our souls.

If we read to the end of our Bibles, we know the end of the story! Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He’s given us promises. We have a goal, a final destination. But until we get there, he tells us to persevere, keep running strong, stick to your raft, and keep looking up, because some days he sends you a rainbow to hang on to.

“Noah- waited 120 years before the predicted rains arrived. Abraham- waited 25 years for a promised son. Joseph- waited 14 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Job- waited perhaps a lifetime, 60-70 years for God’s justice. God prepares leaders in a slow cooker, not in a microwave oven. More important than the awaited goal is the work God does in us while we wait. Waiting deepens and matures us, levels our perspective, and broadens our understanding. Tests of time determine whether we can endure seasons of seemingly unfruitful preparations and indicate whether we can recognize and seize the opportunities that come our way.” ~ John C. Maxwell

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”

2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “We do not want you to be uninformed …about the troubles we experienced …We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself …But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”

Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”