Daily Affirmations - Day 3 - Be Strong, Take Courage, Wait - Surrounded by Favor
- Alisa B.
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Day 3: Surrounded by favor
Then the dove came to [Noah] in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. (Genesis 8:11-12 - NKJV).
Heavenly Father, our times are indeed in Your hands (Psalm 31:15) — all our days, our years, our stages and our seasons. You are God from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2), and Your mercy is from age to age to those who fear You (Luke 1:50 - NABRE).
Even when humans turned from the perfection You had created to great wickedness, and every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5)— even when the earth became corrupt and full of violence (Genesis 6:11) — You preserved humanity and Your creation by showing grace and special favor to Noah and his family (Genesis 6:8).
For Noah, the process of preparation was long and exacting, and the unfolding of Your purpose required patience and endurance. Noah spent over 100 years in advance of the flood building, preparing and preaching (Genesis 6:13-16, 22; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5). The flood lasted about a year, and then Noah waited, sequestered with his family and the animals for about eight more months for the waters to recede and evaporate from the earth's surface (Genesis Chapters 6-8).
Yet Noah's response on exiting the ark was one of deep gratitude. In thankful humility and recognition of the overwhelming grace that had spared him and his family: Noah built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings on it (Genesis 8:20).
Father, convict, challenge, and encourage us as we consider his example. Remind us that even in grace and favor, there is waiting, patience, and endurance. Remind us that as You draw us into Your will for the different stages of our life, there is preparation, building, and executing, just as You command (Genesis 6:22).
In this world, broken, corrupt, evil, and violent as it was in Noah's day, we often face difficult seasons and arduous tasks. But You surround us with Your favor as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).
Give us hearts so full of thankful humility that any necessary accommodations, inconveniences and adjustments would pale in comparison to our grateful recognition of Your grace and favor. Keep us from petulant grumbling, murmuring, complaining, and from despising and diminishing Your great grace to us.
You may not entrust to us as You did to Noah, the preservation of Your creation. But in Your great mercy, goodness, and wisdom, You entrust to us much that is of eternal significance. Including things that pertain to the preservation of souls.
Surrounded by Your favor, may we complete our assignments faithfully. Even in the waiting.
