This past Sunday, a member of our church brought in cinnamon rolls and muffins to celebrate her 60th birthday. She did not think she would make it to this milestone because of some serious health concerns. She wanted to thank God and celebrate His answer to her prayers.

In Noah’s ark, another celebration would soon be happening. Noah, his family, and all the animals had endured weeks in the ark. They had seen the world turn into a watery chaos. That changed with the first four words of verse 1, “But God remembered Noah.” It was not as though God had forgotten Noah. Instead, this means that God acted on Noah’s behalf. God was faithful to the promises He had made to Noah. And God never forgets His promises!

When Noah and his family came out of the ark, their first act was to give thanks. They built an altar and worshiped the Lord (v. 20). They had experienced God’s salvation and were profoundly grateful. Worship is the natural and appropriate response to God’s work in our lives. Instead of taking credit for saving himself through building an ark, Noah recognized that they owed their lives to God’s grace.

Noah might have feared: “Will God do this again? What if people fall into the same pattern of sin that brought on the flood?” But God gave an important promise. He would “never again destroy all living creatures” (v. 21). Even though humans were still sinful, God would be faithful to provide the seasons and sustain life on earth (v. 22). God would redeem humanity from their sin through His calling of Abraham, His covenant with Israel, and ultimately through the coming of our Lord Jesus. He would provide a way for sin to be forgiven so that we could be in relationship with Him forever.

Go Deeper

For what are you giving thanks to God today? How can you celebrate and share God’s goodness with others in a tangible way?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.