Issue 1314 – An Atmospheric River – December 2, 2023
I awakened yesterday morning to the sound of pouring rain. From the look of things, it had been raining hard for hours. In the past, I would have said it was raining cats and dogs or simply that it was pouring out, but apparently, we are in the midst of an “atmospheric river.” That seems to be the latest buzzword for lots of rain, so I had to look it up.
According to Wikipedia, “An atmospheric river (AR) is a narrow corridor or filament of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere. Other names for this phenomenon are tropical plume, tropical connection, moisture plume, water vapour surge, and cloud band. Atmospheric rivers consist of narrow bands of enhanced water vapour transport, typically along the boundaries between large areas of divergent surface air flow, including some frontal zones associated with extratropical cyclones that form over the oceans. Pineapple Express storms are the most commonly represented and recognized type of atmospheric rivers; the name is due to the warm water vapour plumes originating over the Hawaiian tropics that follow various paths towards western North America, arriving at latitudes from California and the Pacific Northwest to British Columbia and even southeast Alaska.”
That sounds suspiciously like a heavy rainfall to me. Whatever you want to call it, it was pouring out.
I saw the water running down the street like a river. I had passing thoughts about Noah and the flood (knowing full well that God promised not to destroy the world by flood again.) The area under the grandchildren’s trampoline looked like a small lake.
After running a few errands, I came home, went to the Bible, and reread the story of Noah (Genesis 6-9). It’s truly a fantastic story, and there is a lot there that you probably don’t remember from Sunday school class (which is the only time most people ever heard the story; most Christians have never bothered to read it, believing they already “know” the story).
Noah was a rarity in his day. He was a godly man.
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:9
Noah laboured for a long time to build an ark in the midst of a world that had never even seen rain. He was ridiculed by friends and neighbours. I don’t doubt that his boat was the laughingstock of his nation and that people came by just to see the weirdo at work. Through it all, He persevered and worked in trust and obedience to God.
Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him. Genesis 6:22
And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. Genesis 7:5
When the rains came, it was a different story. I’m sure many people who had laughed at Noah suddenly wanted a ride on his boat. It was too late because the Lord had sealed Noah in and the world out.
God rewarded Noah for his faithfulness and allowed the rest of the world to face the consequences of their own evil ways. They knew there was an alternative, but they chose to reject it. Like much of the earth today, God offers them freedom and salvation, but they laugh at His offer.
We need to be modern-day Noahs and walk in obedience. We don’t have a boat to build, but we have a message of truth to take to a lost and hurting world. There is a God who loves them and wants to save them from themselves. All they need to do is accept Him.
Don’t worry if you feel like you’re the only one. Don’t worry if you get ridiculed or persecuted. God ALWAYS rewards His faithful.
Don’t worry if you’re not seeing results. It took Noah 150 years to build the ark. Keep walking in love and faithfulness, and let God worry about the results.
Until next time, hang in there with your faithfulness and persevere. Pray for the salvation of those around you and share the truth in word and by how you live your life.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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