6th Week in Ordinary Time
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. (Genesis 9:13)
When Noah and his family left the ark, they confronted a scene of wholesale destruction—an earth that had been ravaged by a violent flood. Imagine how they must have felt when God gave them a colossal commission: “Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it” (Genesis 9:7). Seriously? This earth?
But God didn’t leave Noah and his family to stumble along doing the best they could. He gave them the sign of a rainbow, an arch in the sky whose beginning and end cannot be pinpointed. By choosing this sign, God promised that his boundless strength would stretch over Noah and his descendants forever.
That assurance is for us too. God doesn’t expect us to follow his commands solely according to our own strength and wit. We are children of the same covenant that God made through the sign of a rainbow. His strength is over our lives to protect us, guide us, and empower us as we go about our days.
So remember that when you feel weak, God can be strong for you. When you feel incapable of holding fast to your end of the covenant, he is there to guide you and give you the perseverance you need to live faithfully. When you feel distracted, beset by temptation, or paralyzed by worry, he can carry you with his strong and tireless arms. Noah and his small family carried out God’s command to subdue the ravaged earth, not because they were determined and energetic, but because God’s strength arched over their lives.
Think about how Noah might have felt at the first rainfall after he left the ark—nervous, apprehensive, and unsure. Now imagine how he felt when he saw the rainbow—relieved, encouraged, even elated.
Where do you need to experience God’s strength today? Imagine a rainbow arching over you in that very situation, and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with his strength. The promise made to Noah is for you too, so don’t let fear keep you from fulfilling God’s commands. Instead, rejoice along with Noah that you have been called to bring God’s peace to a hurting world.
“Father, help me to see your strength at work in the weakest areas of my life today.”
Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23
Mark 8:27-33
Daily Marriage Tip for February 16, 2017:
“Marriage is not merely a private institution.” (USCCB, Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan) Marriage matters for many people beyond the married couple: children, neighbors, friends. Reflect today on all the lives your marriage has touched.