Surviving the confinement.
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· 9 viewsNoah's life teaches us how to survive the confinement due to the pandemic.
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The story is told about a young man coming before St Peter, the door-keeper of Heaven. “What’s your name?”, Peter asked. The man gave his name. After checking the list for the day, Peter said, “I am sorry young man, your name is not on today’s list. You came 20 years earlier than expected. Did you wear a mask? You did not keep the quarantine, did you? Why?” “I was bored, sir!” was the man’s answer.
On March 15, 2020, the governor asked seniors to stay home and restricted senior homes visits. That was the beginning of some type of quarantine. With time, the quarantine applied to most of the population, allowing only essential doctor appointments and grocery shopping. As of today, we have had 301 days of confinement.
Our daily routine has been on hold for almost a year!
It is not strange that you are bored, tired of the same, and stressed. I have felt like a “chained vagabond dog”. Unable to travel, to take vacations, confined in my home, in my office.
We do not know how long this will last! Another year?... The question is, How we will survive?
The Bible tells us about a man that was completely confined with his family for 377 days and survived: his name is Noah.
Read Gen 6:5-8; 11-13
What did Noah do to survive the confinement?
He prepared for the crisis.
He prepared for the crisis.
It is our hope that the pandemic end soon, but we do not know.
“There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.” (Stephen King)
“Daddy always seemed to be preparing for rainy days. Maybe that’s why they never came.” (Clarence Thomas, My Grandfather’s Son)
“If you are prepared, you already won half of the battle.” (Hugo García)
How did Noah prepared for the crisis, the confinement?
He followed God’s instructions.
He followed God’s instructions.
6:14-16; 19-20
The instructions for the ark were precise: the size, design, materials, etc.
The instruction regarding the animals were specific: seven pairs of clean animals, seven pairs of birds, and two pairs of unclean animals. Do not go look for them: they will come to you.
Enter the ark with your wife, your sons, your daughters in-law and wait 7 days for the rain.
“Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.” 22
When you follow the Manual’s instructions (the Bible), all will end up well. Man’s plans fail, but God’s plan is perfect.
God told Joshua, “follow the instructions and you’ll have success”.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Noah make preparations to fulfill the main need: food!
He gathered enough food.
He gathered enough food.
“As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” 6:21
Can you imagine Noah’s wife saying, “Honey, aren’t we taking toilet paper?”
People and animals die if they do not eat, but during this pandemic, people are more worried about gathering toilet paper than gathering food. Have you ever seen someone die for lack of toilet tissue? NO! But if you check the garage of some, you’ll find more paper than food.
Noah and his family learned to live with what they had. I bet no one complained saying, “I do no like beans or humus!” or “falafel, again?”
Desperate times call for desperate measures!...
Are you prepared for the crisis? Do you have enough food? Learn from the ants!
Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.
That’s is called prevision! That’s being smart as the snakes, not dumb as the sheep!
He spent the time with his family.
He spent the time with his family.
They were the ones that really matter.
They were the ones that really matter.
Until Thursday, 28,594 deaths were reported in CA, (1/3 of million in USA). But those numbers will not mean much to you until one member of your close family be part of the count. Then you’ll realize that your family matter the most.
“Family and God – that is what’s important. Money, cars, those are things that come and go.” — Fabrice Muamba
“Work is work, but family is for life. That’s what really matters to me.” — Akshay Kumar
“Tennis is just a game, family is forever.” — Serena Williams
“My family is my life, and everything else comes second as far as what’s important to me.” — Michael Imperioli
Make good use of the time with them.
Make good use of the time with them.
How do you think Noah spent the days in the ark? How do you think was a normal day for Noah and his family?
Of course, they had to sleep, feed the animals and clean the pens, eat. I guess they too time to praise God, pray, and talk.
What do you think they talk about? What were the topics? God’s mercy, justice, power, salvation, destiny of those that died, etc.
We can also make good use of the time during this crisis.
How? Having meaningful conversations, laughing together, reading a book, reading the Book, eating together, watching good edifying movies, playing, etc.
Do you know what is the worst hindrance or enemy that will stop you from doing that? Your smart telephone!
He patiently waited on God.
He patiently waited on God.
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”
"To lose patience is to lose the battle.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
Authorities have reported an increase in domestic violence cases during the pandemic. What’s the main reason? Stress and lack of patience!
Noah patiently waited because he believed in God’s promises.
Believing in His promises.
Believing in His promises.
God told Noah that He would send a flood.
“Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish.
Noah believed God and built the ark.
God had promised to save him and his family.
“everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark -you and your sons and your wife, and your son’s wives with you.” Gen 6:17-18
Noah believed God and entered the ark.
Not being scared by the situation.
Not being scared by the situation.
Can you imagine you and your family with zero navigation experience, on a boat in the middle of the ocean seeing the roaring waves tossing the boat? Would you be scared?
What did Jesus ask the disciples when they were scared of the waves that threaten to sink their boat? “Where is your faith?”
If you believe in God’s power, there is no reason to be scared!
If we believe that God is for us, what against us?
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Just as the flood did not last forever, the pandemic will no either.
Worshiping God for His protection.
Worshiping God for His protection.
Crisis are the best times to worship God!
Almost a year has passed since the beginning of this and God has protected all of us. No one from our church has died of the virus!
I bet that many praises and hallelujahs were heard on that boat everyday. Are they being heard in your home?
Fear and worship strengthen your body:
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.
Worship Him with a portion of the provision He has given you!
Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.
What was the first thing Noah did when the flood ended and they left the ark?
So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by their families from the ark. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
He built an altar and offered from the animals God had given him.
Do not let fear of scarcity stop you from giving to God!
Do you wan to survive the confinement? Prepare for the crisis, spend quality time with the family, and patiently wait on God.