New Beginnings
Posted by Karah
Pause
Consider this quote from Louis L’Amour:
“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning.”
“Then God spoke to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, those that crawl on the ground—and they will spread over the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth’.” —Genesis 8:15-17
Read Genesis 8:1–9:17 in your Bible. As you read, look for examples of new life and new beginnings.
Now, focus on verses 15-19. Ask yourself:
Compare Genesis 8:15-19 to Genesis 1:26-28. How are they similar? Why is it more accurate to recognize the flood as a new beginning rather than an ending?
Consider the quote above. What does it have to do with today’s passage? Explain.
We often say that God makes all things new. Today’s passage is a clear example of that idea. What has God made new in your life?
The Point
God is a God who makes all things new.
Respond
God didn’t destroy the earth to end it; He made all things new. Take some time to reflect today on the things God desires to put an end to in your life and the new things He wants you to experience as a result. Record your response as a prayer in the space below.
For further study:
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and John 10:10.
Check out “A New Beginning” by Sally Lloyd-Jones in The Jesus Storybook Bible.
Behind the Story
God didn’t tell Noah to come out of the ark until the earth was dry. It wasn’t a muddy mess, evidenced by the fact that the first thing Noah did when he came out was build an altar of fire. Sometimes we have to wait on God’s promises to be fulfilled, but when He does fulfill them, He does so with completion.
Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Weekly Devotions