Let Me Out of Here!

     Well, those of you that tuned in for JTJ Friday, saw I was awol.  I was stuck in the airports and on the road through the weekend.  Did not even see a computer until late Sunday night.  I must say that I missed talking with you.  It is funny how the blog kinda of becomes a living thing and takes on a personality that you interact with.  I'm sure I missed it more than you, however, I do apologize for missing Friday or at least giving you heads up.  You have been kind enough to give me your "ears" every MWF and I left you hanging without word.  Sorry.  Enough groveling!
      When I was last with you we were talking about God's broken heart because of the wickedness of the "apple of His eye", man.  The emotional response of God being "grief" instead of  "anger" spoke volumns to me about the heart of God.  If it had been me, I would have been nothing less than pissed.  Not God, He was heart broken.  The reason being, He was not only aware of what it was doing to Him inside, but He knew what it was doing to man inside and that broke His heart.  God always wants more for us than we want for ourselves.  That is a true sign of love.
     After Noah built the ark, filled it with all the pairs of animals and rounded up all of his children and their wives,  God "shut" them in.  God was watching after them to the very last minute.  Then the rain came down and the springs flowed up for 40 days and 40 nights.  I always forget that it was 150 days on there without "kitty litter", "elephant litter", "rhino litter", you get the picture.  Sound effects I can handle, but smell effects, no way.  I would have been yelling, "Let me out of here!"  I definitely get cabin fever alot sooner than 150 days (7:24).  I would be going crazy.  However, 150 days to think about what had happened over the past year would certainly frame your opinion of God.  He liked me, asked me to build a boat to save my family and mankind, flooded the whole earth, destroying every living creature, shut me in, protected the boat from crashing while the tub filled up and then drained the tub. There is no record of any communication between God and Noah during those 150 days on the ark.  Noah was thinking about the fact that when he comes off the ark, he and those on the ark would be the only living human beings alive.  Everyone had been destroyed because of  their wickedness,  You think Noah wanted to get it right when he got off the boat.  I should think so!
      The doors open.  Exit Noah and his gang.  The first thing Noah did was build an altar, offer sacrifices to God.  God's response:  That smells good!  He said in His "heart".  Here is the heart thing again.  God responds to man with His heart.  It is not cut and dry laws or rules.  It is heart interaction with man.  God says, " I will never do that again."  As a sign of His promise, He gave the rainbow, a beautiful reminder even to this day.   Notice what God says about the rainbow.  "Every time I see the rainbow, I will be reminded of my covenant."  Didn't you always think the rainbow was to remind us. God too!  It is not like He was going to forget.  Why did God need a reminder?  Just a thought, but I think He got pleasure out of being reminded of  His covenant, because it defined relationship.  God called the troops together, Noah and his sons, blessed them and made a covenant with them.  That means that God would always be involved in their lives.  That is the nature of God.  His plans are always long term when it involves us.  He plans to be there every step of the way.
     God puts His heart on the table.  He knows that His promises and covenants mean He will be involved with us for the long haul, even if we fail Him.  His choice is to invite us on an up and down journey and He is committed to JOIN THE JOURNEY!