It’s time for a fresh start

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today's reading?

I love that God knows who we are and chooses to love us. Life’s emergence from the ark was like a recreation of creation and, through Noah, God established a covenant with us. This was despite God knowing that "every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood..." (chapter 8 verse 21)

God refuses to let go. The rainbow was a sign of the commitment from God to life on earth, all inclusive, regardless of our imperfections.

I’m struck by how the massive growth of life and families which followed was under this rainbow covenant sky.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

I’m continuing to notice what makes God a good father. His parental commitment to us includes unconditional love. Whatever rotten choices we make, God doesn’t ignore evil or call it good, but he still loves us and calls us to call him Father. A family, we believe and keep discovering, needs stability to grow, and God leads us by showing how this can work.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

We have two rules for bringing up our son Noah. One is that he must know how much he is loved, which enables the other rule, that we should encourage and expect him to grow in loving others. I am reminded here that no-one can know how much they are loved until they know God’s love, because it’s the biggest and best. So for me to do my promised parental job, I must check more about how Noah is learning and believing in God’s love, not just ours.

Who am I going to share this with?

This is a great family discussion topic! My wife Helen and I will need to lead the way in how we share about what we know and keep seeing about God’s love. Then we will encourage Noah to do the same, and I’m looking forward to learning from him too!