Perfect Timing

To read the full story of Noah, one must read Genesis 6-9.  It makes me wonder about God's timing and His perspective over mine. 

For instance, taking time to read all of that....
Wow! It's a long story!  It was a long time in the ark! Especially when you consider that Noah was 6 hundred years old!  That's a long time in itself!  And that was repeated many times, too, wasn't it?  I wonder at the importance, but it made it stand out to me.  Maybe it was to put things into perspective like this--when you've lived 600 years and your sons have lived 100 years--40 days doesn't seem that long! 

And did you notice how long they were actually on the boat!  It was over a year, I think, by the time the water receded enough to get off with all those animals.  So, when I'm waiting for "God's timing" on my next prayer, I'm going to have to consider the length of time Noah waited and how long he lived. And in all those years, there is only one portion of his life that was important enough for us all to know about it.

After Noah led such a long life, I noticed that God decided that man should only live 120 years.  I guess He knew that was long enough for us to do something of significance.  Yet, I still don't know anyone who has lived THAT long or taken that long to make an impact on others.

I also noticed that they began tilling the earth and planted the first vineyard.  And they didn't know the power of that yet.  The comparisons that would be made of God and the vine-keeper, the lessons of the fruit and the vine.  And yet it was immediately misused--I laugh to think that we are told that Noah got drunk after that voyage.  I didn't really blame him that that it was surely an ordeal to live through!  But then I realized, it was only after the vineyard had grown, the fruit had fermented, and the wine had been made.  So, we're looking at years again, instead of the days that it seems like when you read it all at once.

I guess that's how we look at others, when passing judgment on their actions.  We see the actions and connect them to past events that may not really have anything to do with the actions.  Or we skip from one event to another and forget that there are many things about the person that we do not know about them.  We are only allowed to see part of their lives. 

It's nice to know that God sees us from the beginning events, through the middle events, and past the ending events that tell our true life stories.  I pray that I may remember that the next time I am wishing, questioning, or hoping for a change---just as Noah must have while building, riding, and landing that ark. 

An amazing story that teaches us that good things come to those who wait.  May I always trust in your planning and your timing, dear Lord.