Devotionals for the Heart: The story of Noah's Ark taught me about doors

When God Says No
A devotional by Colette Lawrence

“The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.”—Genesis 7:16 (NIV)

Recently, I heard something that struck a chord deep within me.

It was a familiar Bible verse for me (Genesis 7:16), but particularly the latter part of verse 16 resonated with me: “Then the Lord shut him in.” This is a passage I have read plenty of times before, yet this time I believe I needed to hear a message that I had not previously associated with this verse. God spoke to my heart immediately and drew my eyes to something I had never observed before.

In this Bible story about Noah’s Ark, the Lord gave Noah clear instructions on what to do: Enter the ark with his family and bring certain types of animals with him (Genesis 7:13-16). If you are like me, you can sometimes focus solely on what God didn’t do and how long we have had to wait on Him. This causes us to be focused more on our feelings than the facts and then we miss the lesson.

What hit me was that it was God who closed the door of the ark after Noah and his family and the animals were safely inside this refuge. I found that there is great significance in the fact that it was God who shut Noah in, not anyone else. This is what I’ve learned from this Bible verse and our modern-day life: God closes doors! Sometimes, we believe that it was the enemy closing the door on our dreams for our future. But I learned that as long as we believe in God and are walking in faith with Jesus Christ then it is God who allows those doors to be closed.

But what’s on the inside of that closed door? God’s provision. And that’s what He is drawing our attention to. When our focus is only on what He kept from us, we miss the fact that when He closes the door—or more than one door—all that you and I need is already on the inside with us. The provision we need and the answer we need is behind that closed door; we just don’t see it, or think it could be there, but it is. Even more important than that, could it be that the door was closed for our protection? And could it be that the closed door doesn’t mean it would never be open, just not now?

Sometimes, God says “no” in response to our prayers for an opportunity we believe we deserved, a door we think should have been opened, a relationship He should have healed, the finances He should have provided, or the home we shouldn’t have lost. You name it! But could it be that there is a set time for us to receive blessings from God? Perhaps we have to go through this period of difficulty so that when He opens the door, we know without the shadow of a doubt that He did it?

For the time while Noah was locked inside the ark, he was not alone. God was with Him, and He is with you as well. Now, what can we do when it looks like God is missing, when it seems as if He hasn’t heard our cry and He has denied our prayer requests? We have the choice to focus on God and on everything else that He has provided for us. We can trust that God knows our needs before we do (Matthew 6:8) and He will always provide for us (Philippians 4:19).

If, in closing the door, God has already given us all we need, why then are we so focused on what isn’t happening for us instead of looking at the love of our Heavenly Father, who knows what we need? God knows best about the timing of that need, and in His Sovereignty, He’s made preparations and provisions for us until the set time when He grants us the desires of our hearts according to His will. Satan (the enemy of our souls) wants us to miss all that God has done. He wants us to forget all the provisions that God has made in our lives. The devil wants us to doubt that God will ever come through for us again.

Let’s change our focus and our gaze and look instead to the One who says in Ephesians 3:20 (NIV), “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” God wants the absolute best for us! When He is saying No to our requests, look behind the closed door and see what He has already given you.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us to see You clearly in the midst of all that is happening that causes us to doubt You. Help us to see that a “no” from You isn’t a bad thing; it's what is best for us. Turn our gaze to You, Lord, and cause us to rejoice in You, for You are good all the time! Thank You, God, for being on time with your answers to all our prayer requests. Help us to praise Your Name forever! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “The Benediction” by Anthony Brown & Group Therapy. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Colette Lawrence is an empowered woman who inspires women to be who they were created to be. Her core message is empowerment. She is an author, certified life coach, podcast host, and trainer with the Maxwell Leadership team. 

Colette believes that an empowered woman empowers others and is powerful in knowing who she is and what she can accomplish. Colette is on a mission to impact the lives of the women assigned to her, whether she is their coach or trainer or shares a word that will transform their lives.

Colette utilizes her Christian principles as the base of all her engagements. She is passionate about fulfilling her life purpose of empowering women to know who they are, rebuild their confidence, and use their voices as tools to uplift themselves and others.

​​She is the founder of the M.E.E. Movement L.L.C., a faith-based empowerment ministry business that helps women of faith rebuild their confidence and use their voice to walk in their purpose through life coaching, mentoring, and empowerment speaking. Colette believes in using the gifts God has given her to help women be who God has called them to be and ultimately fulfill the purpose for which they were created. She lives by Romans 8:28 (NIV), that promises, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

A native of Jamaica, Colette resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is the mother of two beautiful young women, a son-in-love, and two grandsons. Colette enjoys reading, writing, watching good movies, and chatting with her daughters and friends.

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Connect with Colette:
Blog: https://www.colettemarie.online/blog
Website: https://www.colettemarie.online/
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2367935
Email: Colettemarieonline@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Obedience

Within the Ark
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”–Hebrews 11:7 (KJV) 

If winter did not have so few hours of sunlight, I would not dislike it as much as I do. I can handle the cold. I can handle the frost. I can even handle the snow. But I internally cringe every time I have to set my clock back and the sun sets in the late afternoon. 

As I was reading through Genesis earlier this year, the story of Noah stood out to me as I realized there was only one window in the entire ark (Genesis 6:16). There was only one way for sunlight to enter.

What was Noah feeling the moment that God shut the door to the ark (Genesis 7:16)? It was dark. It probably did not smell too pleasant because of the animals. Were the people outside taunting him, even after God shut the door? Could he hear them jeering about how crazy he was for building an ark?

Noah was in a difficult situation. I am certain he did not feel like spending weeks in an ark that had only one window and was filled with all kinds of insects, reptiles, and mammals. So, why did he do it? God told him it was the only way to live and Noah believed Him! But furthermore, Noah did not just believe what God told him, Noah acted upon what God told him. That is how the New Testament writer of Hebrews knew that Noah had faith—obedience is the action of faith.

We often view the truths and lessons in God’s Word (The Holy Bible) as suggestions. Sometimes we even consider the Ten Commandments to be “outdated” and that most of the commandments were meant for past generations instead of for every generation. But every command that God gives in the Bible is given so that we might obey them. How can we say that we have faith and that Jesus Christ is the Lord of our lives, but we do not believe that every command in the Bible should be followed and we do not live in obedience to His Word?

According to James 2:26 (KJV), “faith without works is dead”, which means that our faith must be evident in our lives. What better way could we live out our faith than by obeying God’s commands even though they lead us to dark and unpleasant places? God leads us to these places to strengthen our faith and to strengthen our relationship with Him. But the best part is that He never leads us to dark places and just leaves us there. God will stay with us—even if it is too dark to see Him—and He will bring us through the dark places.

How could you live out your faith today? What act of obedience is God calling you to?

God is looking to form a deeper relationship with you by bringing you through your dark moments. He is waiting for you to obey, to be willing to step into the ark and allow Him to shut the door. Remember, the ark was a vessel of salvation, not a prison.

Obedience, though it may not feel pleasant, just may be the vessel that will protect you from a storm that is coming in your life.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word and the examples of the great men and women of faith in the Bible. Please grant us the courage to believe Your Word and be willing to do whatever you ask of us. You are the Lord of our lives, and we surrender our will to You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me” by CityAlight. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio: 

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois. She was born to Christian parents and has known Jesus Christ personally since the age of five.

Currently, Tessa is attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school system, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

Tessa enjoys being active in her local church. She serves as a co-teacher for the two-to-five year old class where there is never a dull moment.

It is Tessa’s passion to be a girl after God’s own heart and through her studying of God’s Word, Tessa longs to draw closer to her Savior. Through her writing, she longs to take others with her on this journey of faith.

Tessa loves all things Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size.

When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, she can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/

Devotionals for the Heart: Rainbows

Chasing Rainbows
A devotional by Shirley A. Denson

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 

– 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)

Have you ever found it hard to trust God?

You know He’s sovereign, He sees all, and He knows all, but in certain areas you find it really difficult to trust Him wholeheartedly. You’re not alone!

We’ve all felt the same way at some point in life. Thankfully, God doesn’t hold it against us. Our inability to trust doesn’t take away from His ability to be trusted. He knows that at some point we’ve been dropped, disappointed, mishandled, or misled by people. As a result, our ability to trust may be fractured. This still doesn’t take away from His trustworthiness, or His reliability.

Numbers 23:19 (KJV) reminds us, “God is not a man, that He should lie, neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”

No matter how many people may have lied to you, God won’t. It’s not in His nature. He can be trusted. If He couldn’t be trusted, the story of Noah (detailed in Genesis 6:11–9:19) would have never been written. It’s because of Noah’s testimony of God’s trustworthiness that we should be able to trust Him more. Noah trusted God so much that he built something that had never been built before (an ark), to experience something that he’d never experienced before (a flood).

I’m sure Noah may have had some trepidation during the building process, but most definitely when the earth started to flood. However, he had to trust that what God told him to build was able to weather the storm set before him. Because of that trust, he and his family were saved—along with the animals. After Noah endured the storm, God made him yet another promise. He promised that He’d never destroy the earth again by flood. As a symbol of that promise, He placed a rainbow in the sky. From the days of Noah until now, whenever a rainbow is seen in the sky, it serves as a reminder of the Promise Keeper.

Trust is a major component in our walk with Christ. If the enemy can shake your trust pillar, he’ll make you question everything God ever said about you. When you’re secure in who God called you to be, and what He said you can have, you’re not easily shaken. Sometimes, you may have to endure patiently before obtaining the promise, but don’t ever stop pursuing.

There are 66 books in the Bible to help remind you of every promise God made concerning you. They’re just awaiting your pursuit. If there’s a need, a lack, a deficit—whatever you may be facing—search the scriptures, see what God says about it, and chase the rainbow.

Don’t relent until you’ve laid hold to everything God’s promised you. Healing is yours…because He said it! Provision is yours…because He said it! Prosperity is yours…because He said it! Victory is yours…because He said it! 

Stop believing the lies of the enemy and start chasing the rainbows (promises) of God! 

Combat every lie with a promise from God.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, I thank You for being trustworthy—even when my trust waivers. I’m so glad that I can depend on You. Thank You for your many promises towards me, and for the prompting to latch onto them even the more, through Your Word. Thank You for always keeping your promises. Help me to walk in all that you’ve ordained for my life. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen!

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Author Bio:

Shirley A. Denson is a native of Statesboro, GA.  

She found out at a young age that she had a creative mind and a way with words. Later on in life, she learned to cultivate her passion for writing as a budding author.

Shirley is very passionate about writing. Each book that she releases will be a product of God stirring and cultivating the gift He’s entrusted her with. She has won numerous writing awards/certificates, and is a published poet and blogger.

For the past six years, Shirley has worked as a professional ghostwriter, editor, and author. It is her joy and goal that through print, she might impact lives and leave the imprint of the King.

Visit her website to stay in the loop about her new book releases, current projects, and to read her blog posts.

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Connect with Shirley:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SayWhatEnterprises
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saywhatenterprises/

Devotionals for the Heart: Reset

Global Reset
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” 

–Genesis 6:8 (NKJV)

Recently in my devotional moments, I was led to remember a global reset of biblical proportions.

You may be familiar with the story of Noah. It is found in Genesis chapters 6-8. An apocalyptic flood covered the earth and decimated the population. Noah and his family were quarantined within a floating ark of safety for one year and ten days. How did they survive? How did they prepare? How did they recover?

I have extracted six points of resiliency from this story that can be instructive to us as we weather the pandemic experiences of 2020 and beyond.

They are:

1. Proactive Spirituality

2. Prescriptive Preparation

3. Providential Provision

4. Perseverance

5. Buoyant Faith

6. Pioneering Resilience

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This means that Noah was known by God and Noah knew God. They had a conversational relationship. His relationship with the greatest of godly men, his father, grandfather and great grandfather would almost surely have brought him into the very real presence of God and an awareness of the character and desire of divinity.

When God chose him for the mission of global reset, Noah was 500 years old. He worked with proactive spirituality for 100 years to build a family and to complete construction of a vessel that had never existed for a contingency that had never happened. Yet, he persisted.

Proactive spirituality is what drives some to write books, start businesses, practice fidelity when distracting opportunities abound, even stay with seemingly errant spouses, believing that faithfulness matters and that a breakthrough is imminent.

Noah saw deeper and believed more fervently in the character of God than did those who for a time worked with him. He worked according to a supernatural pattern with craftsmen and suppliers who benefitted from the work as well as their exposure to Noah’s faith. Noah’s prescriptive preparation saved his family and could have saved many more, if only they had kept the faith.

For 100 years Noah lived and worked confidently under the providential provisions of God. They labored to harvest and store up food and materiel for the global reset that they expected. The biggest revelation of providential provision was when the animals came. Faith invested is always met with miraculous dividends. In this case, it was the arrival of unclean animals two by two and clean animals by seven.

Once Noah and family were secured in the ark they endured the 40 day storm. Then they drifted for 310 days. Even after they knew that they had been securely grounded, they had to wait another month or two before the land was dry enough to allow them to safely disembark.

Through it all, Noah and his family never lost their faith in God because they had evidence of His presence with them. Not idols, but memories. I also believe that there may have been some epiphanies during their cruise. Their faith did not languish nor expire. God was with them! That knowledge and confidence kept the ship afloat. Through it all, their faith and personalities remained buoyant.

The last element of their resiliency was the forward orientation. Many of us who are in quarantine, long for life as it was. Noah and his family came forth and created a new normal. Their reality was clear. Recovering the past was impossible. Forward was their only gear. So, they went and created a bold, new world.

In this new world, they initially carried forth the six points of resiliency. You can too. Our pandemic is far from over. The reset is still developing. Trust that God is with us in the midst of this upheaval. Make the best preparation that you can for yourself and family members. Expect and look for supernatural guidance and provision, even and especially during crisis moments.

Stay the course and don’t jettison your faith in God or jump overboard. Faith is your ark of safety. Persevere! As you do, your loads will feel lighter. Waves may crash into your world, but you will always spring back to the surface.

Do not try to bounce back. Rebound with a mission forward orientation. God will guide your feet and light your path. Be a pioneer and go boldly where no one before you has gone, or, follow the path of the faithful who have gone before you.

Wherever you go, know that God will never leave you nor forsake you. His grace will see you through whatever He has brought you to. If and when death assaults us, we believers will still be secure because not even death can separate us from the love of God.

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Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps.

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.

You may connect with Chaplain Anderson via email at this address, psanderson75@gmail.com.