His Ark of Love

“…and the LORD shut him in.” Genesis 7:16

When I was a little girl sitting in church, I remember thinking it was odd that we prayed for certain people who never came to church.  The pastor would ask us to continue praying for them…these mysterious people whom I had never met, staying inside homes which I had never visited.  These people were called shut-ins.  I recall wondering who had shut them in their homes and why couldn’t they just walk out the door?  It’s funny how a child’s mind works.  Noah and his family knew all about being shut in… isolated from the world…waiting for the rain to stop.  2020 seems to be our own personal ark and sometimes it feels like we are the shut-ins.  But this morning I noticed something loving…something tender…something precious about God’s motivation towards Noah.  It is crystal clear that the headline of Noah and the Ark is one of relentless punishment against the evil people of the earth.  But in truth, the headline really boasts God’s protection for His people instead of His wrath towards the others.  The six simple words in Genesis above speak volumes about God’s faithful and undying love for those who love Him.  The protection that God surrounded Noah’s family with is the same protection God surrounds us with… His ark of love.  

God shuts us in and surrounds us with the Spirit to go with us no matter where we must go, and no matter what circumstances have called us there.  When we begin our days shut-in with our Bible, our prayers and our worship to God no storm can overcome us.  Great power is exchanged between the Creator and the created when we shut out the world, and conform to the will and ways of God.  There is no safer place than being shut-in with the protective walls of God.  Some of our experiences can certainly feel like punishment, but God poured His wrath out on the cross.  Every single thing that we experience is part of God’s gracious mercy and protection over our lives.  When we live a life shut-in with God, we access His love for others who are temporarily shut out.  When aligned with Christ and exemplifying His actions while on earth, we fling open the door of our arks, inviting all to experience the community of discipleship.  There is no greater love than the love we give away to those who are hurting, separated from God, and hungry.  ‘Someone is in need today.  People will know we belong to God when we demonstrate sacrificial love like Jesus did…When we wait well, whether it’s building an ark or taking food to a shut-in, the objects of our wait become less important.’ Wait and See, Wendy Pope, p. 92.