God of the Quarantine

I write this as COVID-19 is raging and we are under a “stay at home” mandate. I’m unsure what day it is at this point. I miss in-person interaction. And coffee shops. And working in the hospital not wondering if I’ll be the next patient. I also miss the ignorance of not thinking communicable diseases could take out my friends and family. I find myself grumbling at life’s current inconveniences. Have you ever felt this way? Cooped up in an awful situation, environment or relationship with no end in sight?

I believe most of us are familiar with the story of Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-9). It is one of the most popular Bible stories. God is saddened by the corruption and violence of man and vows to destroy mankind and the earth. He instructs Noah to build an ark to endure a future catastrophic flood. “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (6:22). Noah along with his family and two of all living creatures are the only ones who enter the ark and (spoiler alert!) survive the flood.

I have read or heard this story no less than 20 times in my lifetime. However, it was not until my most recent reading that I realized how long Noah and his family were on the ark. What is your guess? If you thought 40 days and nights, you get partial credit. That is how long the rain fell (7:12). The waters covered the earth for 150 days (including the 40 days of rain; 7:24). Genesis 8:5 tells us that, “the waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible” (74 days later). Forty days after that, Noah sent out a raven and dove to assess the flooding (8:6). He waited another 7 days and sent out the dove a second time (8:10). Then he waited another 7 days and sent the dove out a third time (8:12). On the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year (another 29 days), Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry (8:13). But the earth was not completely dry until the twenty-seventh day of the second month (another 56 days; 8:14). This is when God finally called Noah, his family and the animals out of the ark. Let me do the math for you: 363 days. A YEAR. Can you imagine the uncertainty, doubt and insanity Noah experienced during that time? We don’t know his personal plight as the Bible doesn’t share it. What would be the first thing you did after stepping foot on that dry soil? Maybe lay prostrate on it. Dig your toes into the dirt. Wonder what in the world just happened. Run away from your family (kidding!).

This is what Noah did: “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar (8:20)”. In essence, he praised and honored the Lord. I think that speaks volumes. Noah’s faith remained steadfast after that prolonged period in quarantine. God allows suffering to refine us and bring glory to Himself. At the time of this blog, COVID-19 is not yet over and experts are unsure when to safely lift restrictions. Whatever terrible personal situation you have been experiencing may still be going strong as well. I challenge you to seek God in the midst of the chaos. Use the time to pray, read Scripture, connect with other believers. I so eagerly desire that we all come out of these periods with a renewed faith and trust in God.

Amid the current pandemic, rainbows are going around the internet to symbolize kindness and positivity. But for believers, rainbows hold a different meaning: Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth (Gen 9:16). God always keeps His promises. Never forget that God is good. He loves you and He yearns for a relationship with you. In fact, He has demonstrated His goodness and love on the cross.

The story of the flood is the story of salvation through judgment. It’s a story of God’s rescue and his project of a new creation after the judgment, and our only hope is if we find our rescue in Jesus Christ. Against the waters of judgement, Jesus is the wind of salvation (Gen 8:1). Christ is the ark who rescues us. Christ is our refuge, the one who carries us through the waves and storms of life, death and of judgment. Every storm that we face, especially the storm of the wrath of God. We are saved from the storm, through the storm as we hide ourselves in Christ. It’s because of the cross that we can trust Him completely. Because of the cross, we see that, in the end, all of our waiting and suffering will have only furthered the cause of God’s good plans and purposes in your life and in His redemptive plan for the world. Because of the cross, we will one day be restored into a perfect body and perfect world with our perfect God.

Have you trusted in him today? Have you believed in Christ? Have you fled to him for refuge? Have you hidden your soul in him?

Be well, dear friends
Stephanie

(Disclaimer: If you are in an abusive situation, environment or relationship during this time of isolation, we implore you to seek the necessary and proper help)