REST FROM THE STORMS OF LIFE ” 17th Day Of The Seventh Month.”

Genesis 8:4. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
We all know the story of the flood of Noah. When the evil men did was no more bearable for God, He decided to destroy ” SOME ” living creature. One man and his family found grace in the eyes of God. God gave Noah specific instructions in the building of an ark, special materials were to be used, and a standard size for the ark was also given.
God gives Noah detailed instructions for building the ark: it is to be of gopher wood, smeared inside and out with pitch, with three decks and internal compartments; it will be 300 cubits long (137.16 m, 450 ft), 50 wide (22.86 m, 75 ft), and 30 high (13.716 m, 45 ft); it will have a roof “finished to a cubit upward”; and an entrance on the side.
When the ark was complete, God ordered Noah to take his family in And every clean creature both male and female were to enter into the ark as well.
Noah obeyed and did exactly as God commanded.
Then it rained for forty days and forty nights on earth and every living creature that was not inside the ark died. ( excluding the fishes are the trees)!
The story goes on to describe the ark being afloat throughout the flood and subsequent receding of the waters before it came to rest on Mountains of Ararat.

This period was a dark time for Noah, it was like the storm will never be over and peace will never come.
When we talk about storms, we intend hard situations, problems, adversity, tribulations, hard times.
Just like the case of Job, when he wrote Job 23:8-10.
8. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9. On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
10. But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
God was silence that doesn’t mean He was not capable. He was watching, because He is a God that never arrives late. He Has His perfect agenda in every situation. The puzzle of life is best solved looking at it from the top.

In the stormy periods it seems God is way far away. These are the times we ask this simple question that is very difficult to answer. ” GOD WHERE ARE YOU?!
But remember Isaiah 54:10
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

The stormy period is a place where you carry your cross alone, because friends and family have deserted you.
The storms of life affects every race and every body, both male and female , young and old.
The storms of life take away our peace and rest, it’s a time where we find ourselves in the tunnel of difficulty, in the school of adversity. A place when the devil feels he is the head master.
The storms of life makes us feel guilty, because people don’t believe we are innocent and if we are as we claim, why are all these things happening to us.
In these periods we have too many unanswered questions.

BETTER DAYS ARE COMING

After the rain and storm comes the rainbows.
Notice the rainbows never appear before the storm.
God made a covenant with Noah and this covenant is still kept by God unto this day.
He made the covenant after Noah have passed the test of time. After his love for God have been proven to be real, after obedience have been put to a test.
Noah gave up everything he had accumulated in his long life in order to start over.
SACRIFICE ALWAYS PRECEDES SUSSCESS, YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP ON MANY THINGS THAT ARE EXCESS IN YOUR LIFE, DISTRACTIONS,FRIENDS,BAD COMPANY,SINFUL LIFE PLEASURES etc, IN ORDER TO GO UP.

Genesis 9:11-17
And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

Just like Joseph in the bible, he had his own stormy days, when hope was against hope, we the life of a slave was already guaranteed. He still believed in God and did not err away from promises of God. He had many reason to default and say: well “God was not there too help me” but he held up to his believes in God.
The three Hebrew boys, knowing they were facing death, if they refuse to bow down to the king statue, they refused, looking only unto God. They were also victorious.
David has a lot of stormy days, from a child he was undergoing hard labour, doing the job of the older ones. But he kept his focus and learned everything he needed to learn in his wilderness experience.

For every storm that comes our way, there are lessons we should learn from it.
It is not just coming our way for coming sake, the bible says;
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

During our stormy days we should focus on Jesus, He will get us out.
The bible tells us in Isaiah 49:14-16.
But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

We might think or feel, God is not close by, we might be feeling lonely. That is the point when we need to pick our Bible and focus totally on God, Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.
At this point we have to feed our faith so much, that our doubts begins to fade away. Then we see God appear. Without the test, we can’t have the perfect testimony.
The story of Hannah wouldn’t be interesting if she didn’t wait so long for a child.
The story of Sarah would have been a casual one, if she had given birth at 30.
God knows what He is doing, just like Job 23:10. When we have been tried in all areas, we will come out refined as pure gold. Then our testimony will be perfect.

In our Christian journey, we are not guaranteed a safe journey, but we are 100% sure that we will arrive in our destination in peace.
Jesus Christ told His disciples that he is leaving His peace with them. Not as the world gives, but the peace that surpasses all understanding.
No matter how hard the devil tries, we are victorious.

BENEFITS FOR ENDURING THROUGH THE STORM.
We have a new beginning.
We have a new covenant.
We have everlasting joy.
We have assurance of peace.

I encourage you this day to stay on the promises of God, every other ground will sink you. Let your hope be built on the world of God. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Don’t envy any body nor look at their progress, we dare not compare ourselves with others, those that do such things are not wise. We all have different destines, the harder it is now, the more glorious it will be in future.
You will understand it better when you tell your testimony how you overcame.

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13:5-6.

If the ark of Noah rested after the rain and storm, I guarantee you that you will rest from every troubles and storms of life.
It only takes time, God is working on you to bring out the best in you.
If the devil had known that ” sending Jesus to the cross will be our hope of freedom and redemption, he wouldn’t have dared it.” But the cross brought the crown of glory.
Carry your cross and be consistence in prayer and fellowship with God.
Only focus on God only. Remember we have an Unchanging God in a Changing world, His promises are Ye and Amen,
” If He did it before, He can do it again”
Hold on, you are closer to the promise land than you can imagine, just one push can make the difference.
YOU WILL REST JUST LIKE THE ARK OF NOAH RESTED!
God bless.

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