Hurricane Ida made landfall recently and caused extensive damage to property and displacement of people in much of Louisiana and parts of Mississippi. Even after Ida was no longer considered a hurricane, the storm continued in a northeasterly direction causing flooding due to heavy rain. I saw a video of floodwaters gushing from the streets of New York City (where my son lives) onto the subway platform and train lines below. Tropical storm Kate followed on the heels of Ida and now Hurricane Larry is threatening to become a storm that may be larger than Ida.
The context of my article last week, this week, and next week was/is/will be the account of Noah and the Flood. The question being addressed in these articles is “What should you do when floodwaters rise?” The response offered previously was Stay in Touch with Your Father…Your Heavenly Father. Continuing to ask and answer the earlier question yields an additional response, namely, when floodwaters rise…
Stay in Touch with Your Family
Please notice the following aspects of Noah and his family when they were confronted by the challenges and difficulties of a seemingly overwhelming flood. Noah and his family…
Entered the flood experience together (Genesis 7:6-7 & 13). I don’t know about you and your family, but families are important. Families are ordained by God to lend a helping hand and to stand close by the side of each other when times are tough. God ordained the institution of the family prior to any other institution including the church. God intends for families to love each other, cooperate with each other, and to encourage each other.
As a pastor, I have been involved with scores of families as they encountered the rising floodwaters of sickness, loss, heartache, and pain of every type. In the midst of such storms, no one sticks closer than family as they love, support, and pray for you…warts and all.
Noah’s family may have had apprehension but not dissension. Noah’s family likely acted with uncertainty but not with disharmony. They entered the flood together. Granted, they did not know what the future held, but they knew who held their future.
Someone has said that most families have three shifts. The father is on the night shift, the mother is on the day shift, and the children just shift for themselves. Sadly, this approach may be the case in many families in terms of their day-to-day existence. In times of challenge, however, when floodwaters are rising, families must enter the flood together. Noah and his family also…
Endured the flood experience together. Adding the days, months, and years presented in Genesis 7 & 8 (7:6; 7:11; 8:13; 8:14) reveals that Noah and his family endured the flood experience for over twelve months! Can you imagine the noise that must have been made by all of the animals on the ark? Can you imagine the crowded conditions that could have developed when the giraffes, elephants, rhinos, and hippos went for a stroll at the same time? Can you imagine the potential for uniquely smelly conditions?
I am one of five children. In the season of life before my children and my sibling’s children became young adults, we had more opportunities to gather at my mom’s house for Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition to my siblings, the group also included spouses, 8 grandkids, several hound dogs, and a flying rat-type creature known as a sugar glider.
During some of those gatherings, I must confess that I began to feel like Noah may have felt. Noah and his family endured the flood for over 12 months and I was having a difficult time navigating the chaos created by my fiercely independent siblings and these active kids for 12 minutes on some occasions. In fact, I would often gather my children and their cousins to rake leaves outside whether any leaves were on the ground or not. In contrast, Noah and his family entered, endured, and they…
Exited the flood experience together. Notice how the rain stopped and the water receded (Gen.8:2-3), the ark came to rest (Gen.8:4), God said “Come out” (8:15), and Noah exited together with his family (8:18). When floodwaters rise, stay in touch with your family as you enter, endure, and exit the flood experience together.
Dear Heavenly Father, may family be a priority at all times but perhaps especially during the storms and floods of life. May I lead my family to focus on each other through encouraging words, sweet attitudes, and humble actions. May the members of my family receive individual and collective blessings that accompany the togetherness highlighted in the account of Noah and his family. May my family provide blessings and encouragement to other families in your name and for your glory. Amen.
Daniel
