Grateful Praise

Posted by Karah

DSC_3578Pause

Think back over the story of Noah and how the flood played a role in God’s redemption story. Thank God for teaching you new truths and invite Him to speak to you again today.

Recall a time when someone did something unexpectedly nice for you—completed a chore you didn’t have the time to do, gave you money for camp or a mission trip, or did that task at work that you despise the most. What emotions did you feel? How did you respond? Jot down a few thoughts.

Now, for the last time, read over Genesis 8:15-22 in your Bible. Then, focus in on verses 20-21.

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took some of every kind of clean animal and every kind of clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, He said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, even though man’s inclination is evil from his youth. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done.” —Genesis 8:20-21

Think about how you felt when someone did something unexpectedly nice for you. Now, think about what God had just done for Noah. How did Noah respond to God’s work in his life?

The flood had destroyed everyone and every thing in the world, but God had saved Noah and his family. Noah responded with worship and sacrifice.

Look closely at verse 20. Noah sacrificed from “every kind” of clean animal, going well beyond what was necessary. What does that tell you about His level of gratefulness to God?

As a Christian, how grateful are you for the rescue from sin God has given you? How does your life reflect your gratefulness?

The Point

Great salvation calls for great worship.

Respond

Noah didn’t hop off the ark, say “Thanks, God,” and go on his merry way. He worshiped, going above and beyond the norm by offering sacrifices of “every kind.”

Go above and beyond your norm to show God gratefulness for salvation. Whatever that means for you, do it, because He has gone above and beyond for you. For ideas, read Psalm 51:16-17 and 19:14.

Sin can get in the way of experiencing the joy of your salvation. Read Psalm 51 and confess any sin the Holy Spirit reveals in your life. Personalize verse 12 as your prayer to God.

Behind the Story

Noah’s account in God’s story is the first time we find the use of the words clean and burnt in regards to sacrificial offerings. These two terms became an important part of life for God’s people. Clean refers to something that is holy or acceptable to God, and the Old Testament describes laws about that in detail in Leviticus 11. A burnt offering was an offering completely burned to ashes. It was used in connection with worship, seeking God’s favor, to pay for sin, or preventing judgment.


Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged , , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *