Sat.’s Devo - A New Beginning

Read: Genesis 8:1-10:32; Matthew 4:12-25; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 1:20-23 The floodwaters decreased exactly 150 days after they started or 5 months later. That tells us that their months were exactly 25 days long. I have Jewish calendars and their months last 29 days. This also tells me that only God knows what month and year we are really in. *** Three months later, the ark rested on the top of Mt. Ararat. At the end of the forty days, Noah opened the window and sent out a raven which flew back and forth until the waters dried up. He also sent out a dove, but it came back to show Noah that there was no place that was dry yet. Ten days later, he sent out the same dove and it came back with an olive leaf in her mouth to show Noah it was time. *** This is the difference between Satan and God. The raven represented the devil who roams to and fro looking for things to devour. The dove is like the Holy Spirit who is our helper and leads us to truth. *** Noah waited another seven days before he sent the dove out and this time it didn’t return. He knew then that it was safe to come out. He removed the covering of the ark and saw that the ground was dry. They had been in the ark one year and ten days. Noah set all the animals free except the ones he needed for a sacrifice to the Lord. God told them what he had told Adam and Eve - be fruitful and multiply. *** God then told Adam that he could eat meat and fish where before they had only eaten grains and herbs. They could not eat meat while the animal was still alive. If they did, their lives would be required to atone for that animal. If anyone killed a person, his life would be required to atone for him. *** God made a covenant with man that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood, and gave the rainbow as the sign of the covenant. *** Noah planted a vineyard and became drunk on the wine. He became naked in his tent and Ham went in and saw him. He told his two brothers Shem and Japheth who they took a garment on their shoulders and backed in to cover him with out having to look at their father’s naked body. They showed honor to their father where Ham had not. *** When Noah sobered up and heard what had happened the day before, he cursed Ham’s son, Canaan. He said that Canaan would be a servant of servants and serve his brothers. Noah blessed Shem to rule over Canaan and blessed Japheth to dwell with Shem. *** Noah lived 350 years after the flood, dying at the age of 950. *** In Matthew, Jesus heard that John had been arrested and returned to Galilee. He went to Nazareth, his home town and took up the message that John had been preaching, “Repent and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” *** Jesus was walking by the sea one day and saw two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew. He called to them as they were throwing their net into the water. Jesus asked them to come and follow him and he would show them how to fish for men. They immediately left their nets and followed him. *** Further down the shore they ran into two other brothers, James and John. They were helping their father, Zebedee repair their nets. Jesus called to them to follow him and they also left immediately, leaving their boat and their father behind. *** They traveled throughout the region of Galilee preaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons. These are all signs that the Kingdom of God has come from heaven. When we see these signs happening through us, we are going to know that what Jesus prayed about the kingdom is happening. *** Both Noah and the disciples were walking into a brand new dispensation of the Lord, a brand new era. God was going to rebirth, restore and bring about something new that the world had never experienced before. We are at that time in history. God is doing something totally new and we get to be a part of it! *** Lord, we wait in great expectation for what is coming! May your kingdom come on earth just like it is in heaven.