October 1

Thank you to those who let us know…the October 1st and October 2nd Devotionals were the same! Here is the October 1st Devotional that was missing!

Arc of the Ark

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.  ––Hebrews 9:27-28

 

It’s an interesting pattern in the Bible: All seems lost for God’s people, and then, seemingly at “the last minute,” the Lord intervenes. It happened in Egypt, when Joseph was wrongly accused and thrown in prison, only to be returned to Pharaoh’s favor. It happened with Moses when he parted the Red Sea as the thunder of Egyptian chariots approached a boxed-in, desperate mass of humanity. It happened to the Pharisee Saul, on his way to arrest believers in Yeshua, but instead was struck blind by God and transformed into Paul on the ascent to Damascus. And of course, it happened on the cross, with Satan looking on, thinking he had won, only to feel the defeat of the rolled-away stone and the risen Christ three days later.

 

Across the millennia, God’s story has unfolded as a “just in time” arc—of God intervening for His beloved children and getting them out of one self-induced mess after another. Of course, things got so bad prior to Noah that God did a complete do-over with humankind, washing away the sins of the world and providing a life raft in the form of an ark. What’s interesting is the vow the Lord made afterward:

 

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”  ––Genesis 8:20-21

 

Rather than grumble about being stuck on a boat with a bunch of stinking animals for several months, the first thing Noah does when he touches dry land is offer a sacrifice of thanks. He’s just glad to be alive! God’s response: “I will never destroy mankind again.” Let’s not soft-sell this: God demands a sacrifice for our sins. He always has, and always will. But here’s where things get really good: While the waters of sin and degradation continue to rise all over the earth, God has provided an Ark—a way across the waters—in the form of His Son. Jesus is our spiritual ark, serving as our vessel of salvation, but also as the sacrifice God demands, as the writer of Hebrews highlights in today’s verse.

 

Man of God, whose boat are you riding on? In what—or who––are you putting your trust? Make no mistake, the only way into God’s safe harbor is through His Son. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

 

What are you thankful for today? Make a list of the things that come to mind and re-read it throughout your week. We are part of God’s great redemptive arc, made possible because of the Ark of His Son, Jesus.

 

Father, thank You for Your mercy which is new every morning, and for providing me with the Ark of Your Son who carries me across dark waters. Like Noah, I am thankful that You saved me from drowning!