PUDDLES OF TROUBLE
Troubles, troubles, troubles. While walking down the sidewalk of life, we’re constantly stepping into puddles of trouble. Life can seem to be an on-going series of problems, and sorrows, and tragedies. Yes, even for the Christian, the troubles of life can at times appear to be overwhelming.
After forty days and forty nights of uninterrupted rain, Noah and his family found themselves stuck in the middle of the biggest puddle the world has ever known. The storm was over. But there they were, floating aimlessly around atop a world completely covered by water. We can imagine Noah and his family waiting a little nervously on board the ark for the LORD to show them what was going to happen next.
Days and months passed, but the water wasn’t drying up. Perhaps Noah thought that the LORD had forgotten them. After all, what difference would eight more people dying make to the billions that had already perished in the flood? In more ways than one Noah was in a puddle of trouble–a puddle that he hoped would dry up very soon.
As our Bible verse tells us, “God remembered Noah.” When the time was right, God sent a wind to dry up the waters covering the earth. As a result the water abated and Noah and his family were once again able to place their feet securely on dry land. What a joy and relief!
We too hope and pray that our puddles of trouble will evaporate quickly. But troubles never seem to go away. There are troubles with spouses, troubles with children, troubles with finances, troubles within our congregations . . . and the list goes on. In despair we may cry: “Has God forgotten me?”
Children Of God
But God remembered Noah; and God remembers us. In truth, He never for a moment forgets us. If we think honestly about it, we must admit that the LORD has sent us many good and gracious winds–winds that have made our troubles of the past disappear and become forgotten. And yes, we have His promise that He will continue to stay by our side, and that He will not forget us. In the last chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells us: “Lo, I am with you always . . . ” (Mt. 28:20).
To the child of God, life is an on-going series of blessings. God doesn’t want us to be sad. But when He does permit trouble to touch our lives, we can be sure that our loving LORD will work even the bad to turn for our good: “All things work together for good to them that love God . . . .” (Rom. 8:28).
The real question for the Christian is not, “Has God forgotten me?”, but rather, “Why does God remember me in the first place? Why does God remember a sinful reprobate like me?” By all rights God could erase me out of His memory!
God remembers me for the sake of His Son. Noah had faith in the promised “offspring of the woman”–the One Who would crush the head of Satan! We today have faith in that same mighty Savior–Jesus Christ! On the cross Jesus defeated Satan! He took away our sin! He has won for us, and for all people, eternal life! Because of what Jesus has done for us, God will never forget us. How could He? By faith in Christ Jesus we have become the children of God.
The rainbow was God’s sign to Noah that the world would never again see such a devastating flood. Christ is our rainbow. He is our promise that God will lead us safely through this life to that better life to come! Praise His name!
–Pastor Michael Wilke