I can imagine that as the rain pounded the ark and the winds rocked it back and forth, there were moments of distress and anxiety for all aboard.
As we face the storms of life there are times when we can be gripped with a feeling of helplessness. Our storms can come with such intensity and adversity that is beyond our ability to stop or slow what is happening.
We can also be filled with feelings of hopelessness. The length of our storm can leave us wondering if there will ever be an end to our storm. The strength of the storm can be so overwhelming that we feel that the raging waves are about to take us under.
We can find ourselves feeling like the crew of an S-4 submarine that was rammed by another ship and quickly sank. The entire crew was trapped in their prison house of death. Ships rushed to the scene to rescue the crew. When a diver finally reached the sub, he placed his ear to the side of the vessel and listened. He heard a tapping noise. Someone was tapping out a question in the dots and dashes of the Morse code. The question came slowly: “Is there any hope?”
The storms of life can leave us feeling helpless and hopeless. The storms of life can be very unsettling. If not solidly and properly founded, our faith can be shaken, leaving us filled with doubt and despair.
Let’s take another look through the window of the ark, and in this look, let’s step outside the ark and look through the window into the ark. As we do so we see that:
LOOKING IN CAN SETTLE OUR FAITH
When we look at our storms it only brings discouragement. If we are only looking at our storm our focus is riveted on the raging and rising waters and we only hear the howling winds and the crash of the thunder. The secret to peace and confidence in our storms is looking at the Lord instead of the storm. If our eyes are upon Him we see the One who is the Master of the wind, sea, and storm.
When you look in the ark through its window you see:
The Lord’s Preservation
We read in Genesis 6:17-18, “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy son’s wives with thee.”
Every living thing upon the face of the earth would be destroyed by the flood, but Noah and his family would be preserved. It didn’t matter how dark the clouds got, how loud the thunder crashed and rolled, how heavy the rain fell, or how deep the waters were. Noah and his family had a promise from God that they would be safe in the storm.
I remind you that Noah and his family was not spared from going through the storm. God never promised that a Christian would never go through a storm. Just because you are saved and living for God does not give you immunity from the storm. However, there is the promise that God will keep you in the storm.
A Sunday School teacher asked her class, “Who can tell me what a yoke is?” One little girl said, “A yoke is something they put on the necks of animals.” The teacher asked, “What is the meaning of God’s yoke?” The little girl thought for a moment, and then said, “That’s when God puts His arms around our necks!”
When we are going through the storm, we are in God’s yoke. He has His arms around us. He has not promised us that we will not go through the storm, but He has promised us that He will take care of us and keep us while we are in the storm.
We read in Genesis 6:14 that the ark was to be pitched within and without. The word “pitch” literally means “to coat or cover.” The word describes a substance that was used for water-proofing sailing vessels. It was a substance very similar to tar that was used to caulk seams to ensure the vessel was waterproof. Noah never had to worry about patching holes or fixing leaks. He was in a ship that was leak proof. The Titanic was referred to as the unsinkable ship, yet sank on her maiden voyage. If there ever was an unsinkable ship, it was Noah’s. He was safe in the storm.
Be not dismayed what e’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
Thru days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.
When you look through the window into the ark, you not only see the Lord’s preservation, but also:
The Lord’s Presence
I want you to notice very carefully what God said to Noah in Genesis 7:1, “And the Lord said unto Noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark.” When the hour came for Noah and his family to board the ark, God did not say, “Go into the ark.” Instead, He said, “Come thou into the ark.”
If God had said, “Go into the ark,” it would have placed Him outside the ark. The words “come thou” indicate that God was inside the ark. During the storm Noah was not alone. The Lord was in the ark with him.
When we are going through the storms of life, the Lord is with us. We have His great promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb 13:5). I love Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
One Sunday morning, a professor in a Seminary was sharing a seat with a small boy on a shuttle train. He noticed that the boy was holding a Sunday School Quarterly. He asked, “Do you go to Sunday School, my boy?” “Yes sir,” was the happy reply. The professor, thinking to have a little fun with the boy asked, “Tell me where God is and I’ll give you an apple.” The boy looked up at the professor and promptly replied, “Mister, I will give you a whole barrel of apples if you will tell me where He is not.”
God is always present! He is always with us in our storms. He will not abandon us when the winds are howling and the waters are rising. In Genesis 8:15 & 16 we read, “And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy son’s wives with thee.” The time had come for Noah and his family to leave the ark. What does God say to them? He says, “Go forth.” He did not say, “Come out.” He was still in the ark with Noah. He had been with them every moment of the storm.
Again, we are not given the promise that we will not go through the storm. Yet, we are promised that God will take care of us, keep us, and be with us during the storm.
As you look through the window of the ark, you not only see the Lord’s preservation and presence, but you also see:
The Lord’s Promise
God said to Noah in Genesis 6:18, “But with thee will I establish my covenant.” God had made a covenant with Noah. The word “covenant” means “a compact.” God had made a compact with Noah. He had given him a promise that He would save Noah and his family from the flood. All flesh would be destroyed, but Noah and his family would be saved.
We read in Genesis 7:23, “And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and the fowl
