From the Kitchen Table

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”                   Genesis 9:8-17

God operates in terms of promises and agreements.  His promises reveal His passions and purposes.  As soon as Noah docks the ark and builds an altar, God makes a covenant (an agreement) with Noah and all of creation.  Then He seals that covenant with the sign of a rainbow.  God promises to never again bring a worldwide flood to bring worldwide judgment.  That’s how it all began anew;  God works in terms of promises and that led to the promise of Jesus who would be the last covenant God would make with man.  Whoever lives in agreement with this arrangement will live in the authority of God.  We do that by putting our faith in God’s word.  Just as the rainbow stands as a sign of God’s great love and commitment, so the empty cross stands as a reminder of that same love and commitment to us personally and eternally.  God comes because God cares.  This life is lived by faith in God’s promises and it all begins for us with the promise of Jesus.  Live today in His promises, not our problems.