“But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.” (Genesis 8:1, ESV)
I forget things. Most of us do—some more than others. That’s why I keep a calendar on my phone, set reminder alarms, and write myself notes. Those notes may be stuck on my bathroom mirror, on my refrigerator, or placed on the kitchen counter. Life gets busy and it’s easy for things to slip my mind. I suspect many of you may have the same problem.
While reading the story of Noah and the great flood, I paused when I read, “But God remembered Noah.” What! Did He forget about Noah for a while and then suddenly remember he was still on the ark? Not at all. When we explore the meaning of the Hebrew word zakar, which is used here, it means “to bring someone to mind and then act on that person’s behalf.” God, Who is infinite and all-knowing, was ready to act on Noah’s behalf.
There may have been times in the 370 days Noah and his family were shut in on the ark that they felt forgotten, but they weren’t. There may have been times Noah questioned, “How long, Lord? Did You forget about us in here? Will we ever see dry land again?” Perhaps he and his family had “ark fever” like we sometimes feel “cabin fever” when homebound for several days in a row. We begin to feel restless and long for outside activities. We feel bored and lonely. Did Noah feel that way too?
Once the ark came to rest, Noah opened the window of the ark (Genesis 8:6) and sent out a raven and a dove to see if the land was dry enough to leave the ark. The dove could not find a resting place and returned. Seven days later, Noah sent the dove out again. When it returned with an olive leaf, he knew the water had abated. After another seven days, he sent the dove again, and it did not return. The land was dry. The olive leaf was a small sign that God had indeed not forgotten them. God was still working in his behalf.
Perhaps you feel stuck, forgotten, and losing hope that God’s promise to you will come to pass. Don’t give up. Our God is a promise-keeper. If He has made a promise that is still unfulfilled, it will come to pass. God never lies, never breaks a promise. Even at this moment God is working in your behalf.
Isaiah 44:21 assures us that God will never forget us. “I formed you; you are my servant . . . you will not be forgotten by me.”
We can trust God to remember us not only because of His promises but also because of His character. He is faithful and truthful. It impossible for Him to lie. He will always be working in our behalf.
“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” (Hebrew 6:17-18, ESV)
Be encouraged. Hold fast. God remembers you!
Thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness to me. When I feel restless and apprehensive that nothing is happening in my situation, I see a sign—perhaps as small as an olive leaf—that You are indeed working in my behalf. I am not forsaken or forgotten. You will fulfill Your promise at the right time.
2 Comments
For Mary Loudermilk : In your article God Remembers I think of Hebrews11:35 -39. The verses speak for themselves. Sometimes we don’t receive our particular promise..
Dear Sister, thank you for your comments. If you are waiting for the fulfillment of a promise from God, do not lose faith. Even though those Old Testament faithful ones mentioned in Hebrews 11 did not live long enough to personally see the fulfillment of all of God’s promises–such as the promise of a coming Messiah–fulfillment did come. Psalm 89:34 tells us, “I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.” God will keep His promises to us. Be patient and keep believing. Let’s claim the words of Hebrews 11:13 which says, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.” They saw it in the future, were persuaded it would happen, and embraced the promise. God bless you as you look forward to seeing God’s promises come to pass in your life.