(by Max Lucado from UpWords Ministry)

Water. All Noah can see is water. The evening sun sinks into it. The clouds are reflected in it. His boat is surrounded by it. Water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the west. Water.

He sent a raven on a scouting mission; it never returned. He sent a dove. It came back shivering and spent, having found no place to roost. Then, just this morning, he tried again. With a prayer he let it go and watched until the bird was no bigger than a speck on a window.

All day he looked for the dove’s return.

Now the sun is setting, and the sky is darkening, and he has come to look one final time, but all he sees is water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the …

You know the feeling. You have stood where Noah stood. You’ve known your share of floods. Flooded by sorrow at the cemetery, stress at the office, anger at the disability in your body or the inability of your spouse. You’ve seen the floodwater rise, and you’ve likely seen the sun set on your hopes as well. You’ve been on Noah’s boat.

And you’ve needed what Noah needed; you’ve needed some hope. You’re not asking for a helicopter rescue, but the sound of one would be nice. Hope doesn’t promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an eventual one. Sometimes all we need is a little hope.

That’s all Noah needed. And that’s all Noah received.

Here is how the Bible describes the moment: “When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!” (Gen. 8:11 NIV).

An olive leaf. Noah would have been happy to have the bird but to have the leaf! This leaf was more than foliage; this was promise. The bird brought more than a piece of a tree; it brought hope. For isn’t that what hope is? Hope is an olive leaf—evidence of dry land after a flood. Proof to the dreamer that dreaming is worth the risk.

Don’t we love the olive leaves of life?
“It appears the cancer may be in remission.”
“I can help you with those finances.”
“We’ll get through this together.”
What’s more, don’t we love the doves that bring them?
Perhaps that’s the reason so many loved Jesus.

To all the Noahs of the world, to all who search the horizon for a fleck of hope, he proclaims, “Yes!” And he comes. He comes as a dove. He comes bearing fruit from a distant land, from our future home. He comes with a leaf of hope.

Have you received yours? Don’t think your ark is too isolated. Don’t think your flood is too wide. Receive his hope, won’t you? Receive it because you need it. Receive it so you can share it.

Love always hopes. “Love … bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4–7 NKJV, emphasis mine).

From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

READ | Exodus 3:1-22

Can you remember a time when you were so engrossed in the details of your own life that you couldn’t hear God at all? In times like those, we oftentimes cannot detect the Lord’s whisper. So instead, He may shout through unusual circumstances.

Consider Moses in the third chapter of Exodus. Though well educated and raised as a prince, he was now exiled and humiliated in the wilderness. Life certainly wasn’t turning out as he’d envisioned, and he was no doubt preoccupied with fear, disappointment, and pride.

But God had big plans for Moses and needed to get his attention. So the Lord arranged something that the shepherd just couldn’t ignore: a bush that was on fire and yet was not being consumed. Even more startling, God spoke to Moses through the burning bush! Do you think that would have made you take notice?

Sometimes, this is exactly how God works. In order to speak to us, He must first get our undivided attention by doing something so unusual that we have no choice but to stop, look, and listen.

There is no such thing as an accident for a child of God. Every single thing you see or hear is something that God allowed you to notice for a reason.

We must learn how to perceive God in every circumstance, from the wild and unexpected to the simple and mundane. Whether our situation seems unbelievably good or unbearably bad, we are wise to step back and ask the Lord to help us view the matter from His perspective.

(by Dr. Charles Stanley, from the October 2009 issue of In Touch devotional magazine)

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

No right-minded person likes war; we crave for peace, the absence of strife and all hostility. Many religions and therapies claim to calm the mind; as do alcohol, nicotine and other drugs. But the ‘peace’ Peter writes about has a unique origin and eternal effect. We cannot fight for it, or work to earn it; God’s peace comes only through His grace. And its effect is not primarily to make us feel calm (although it will), but to assure us that the dark shadow of God’s wrath has been taken away from our horizon, because Jesus bore it all for us.

This peace is part of God’s gift at Christ’s expense. It enables us to come directly to our Heavenly Father, without fear of judgment (see www.crosscheck.org.uk to find out more). All those who admit that they were the reason that Christ died, are assured of a loving welcome at God’s throne. To be welcomed like that is a massive blessing; and a huge relief that God is not angry with us any more. Of course that is only the start of our relationship with the Lord, but without that start there is no way to get to know Him. Then, once we know that God is longing for us to respond to Him, we need to learn how to please Him – and that is what Peter’s letter is all about.

Getting to know someone takes a lifetime. It is certainly true in marriage: as time goes on we find out more about our spouse. It is the same with God: the more we know of Him, His love and grace and mercy, the more secure we become. Confidence grows as we receive His peace, knowing that all is well between us and Him. The more we explore the Bible, the greater the knowledge and the deeper the peace. In fact, Jesus said that there is no other way to know peace with God (John 14:6). So many people are looking for that peace today; and they need you to tell them how to find it!

Prayer: Holy God. Thank you for helping me to believe that I can be at peace with You, through what Jesus has done. I am so glad that I no longer have to be in terror, fearing your judgment on my sins – as I trust in Jesus. Help me to be bold to explain Your way to eternal peace, which assures me of my place in heaven and comforts my soul each day, lest my friends and colleagues should spend a lifetime and eternity separated from Your loving grace. For Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

(provided by Beacon Light)

Psalm 46:1-3; Psalm 94:19

In times of physical catastrophe in our lives or in our world, what is our response? Usually, it’s “Why, God? Why me? Why us?” In contrast, God’s Word says in times of physical catastrophe, “we will not fear” (Psalm 46:2). As you read Psalm 46:1-3, take the time to observe that the examples are all introduced with “though.” “Though the earth should change, though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.” Referring to what?

Though there may be an earthquake, and the ground moves beneath you. “Though its waters roar and foam . . .” That would have reference to a flood, a tsunami, a tidal wave, the waters from a swelling river after the snow melts, or the rain that doesn’t stop falling. The psalmist goes further—another catastrophe. “Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.” An avalanche! That horrible moment of looking up and seeing the tons of snow and debris, ice and rock plunging toward you. Our response? Since God is our refuge, we will not fear.

Why not? Let me repeat the promise, which makes our foundation firm. It’s because the Lord our God is our chasah. He is our refuge, He is our strength (see Psalm 46:1). He’s the rock. It surprises all of us, but it’s no surprise to Him. Hear that, open theists. Hear that, all you who say that God is surprised by such events, having just discovered what has happened on this earth. (Give me a break!) Our God is in sovereign control of all the events of this earth. They occur exactly as He has planned or permitted them.

Then how can I explain why bad things happen? How can I resolve the ringing question, “Why, God?” I did not say our Father has explained Himself. (How, in fact, can an infinite God ever explain Himself to finite people?) I said our Father has planned or permitted the events of this earth. He has no obligation to explain Himself. The Creator does not explain why to the created. It would be like a brilliant potter explaining himself to a mass of soft clay.

Nothing surprises God. What puzzles us is permitted by our Lord, for reasons too profound to grasp. It is put together in the counsel of His own will so that it fits perfectly into His plan for His glory and for His purposes. As His servant, I say in response, “I will not fear. Though I don’t understand it, I will not fear. Though You take something that’s deeply significant to me, though You allow a catastrophe to strike, I will not fear. I will not blame, I will not doubt, and I will not question.” There will be no out-of-control anxieties. Why? Because God is our refuge. There will be no exaggerated feelings of uneasiness, because God is our refuge. There will be no middle-of-the-night shakes. Why? Because God is our refuge. There will be no morning dread or evening desperation or lingering depression. Why? Because God is our refuge.

Martin Luther connected those dots:

And though this world with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.¹

The answer is not complicated. Selah. Pause. Rest easy. Don’t expect life to make sense. Don’t fear because surprises occur. Life is full of surprises, shocks, and insanities.

While feeling disturbed one night over certain atrocities that were occurring in our nation, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. I got up, walked into my study, slumped into my leather chair, and stared at my shelves of books. The small lamp we leave lit through the night gave me enough light to read one title after another.

Suddenly, my eyes shifted to my computer screen. I noticed an unopened e-mail message from a long-time friend who lives in Southern California. I clicked into it and was relieved. Among other things he asked a simple question: “Have you noticed the insights in Psalm 94:19?” Curious, I opened my Bible and read the verse: “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your consolations delight my soul.”

Talk about a selah moment! A surge of refreshing peace rushed through me. I was reminded once again of Him who, alone, is my refuge and strength. I returned to bed and slept soundly until dawn.

1. Luther, Martin. 1485-1546.

Excerpted from Why, God? Calming Words for Chaotic Times, Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.