I'm currently serving as Campus Pastor for a new campus plant in White House, TN which is located about an hour and a half from my house. The Sunday morning service starts at 10:00am, which means I leave my house each week at 6:30am. (By the way, a greater testimony of my love for Jesus could not be shown. To say I'm not a morning person is an understatement.) My wife, Joy, recently gave birth to the newest edition of our family. A perfect little boy named Judah. So for the last few weeks I've been making the drive each weekend with just me and my other two children. It's the beginning of January as I write this, so as you know it's still quite dark at 6:30am. A couple of weeks ago Issac and I were driving to White House. I had woken him up and dragged him off the top bunk of his bed. After pushing him around the house to get him clean, dressed and somewhat presentable, we were on the road. As we were traveling he started to wake a little more, which for Isaac means he's about to start talking...and he's not going to stop. I actually really enjoy these little drives with him because it has created a lot of great opportunities to teach him about the things of God. Sometimes it's the lyrics of a song, sometimes it's something he heard at church or something someone said. Inevitably though, I know I'm going to get questioned about something. This particular day he looks out the window and asked why I woke him up in the middle of the night. (It was just before dawn when we left the house.) I explained it wasn't the middle of the night but that the sun was about to come up. We drove for a few minutes and as it began to brighten outside of his window, I saw him look out the front past me. "Where's the sun?" he asked. It was overcast that day and was probably going to rain later so I told him; "it's there, you just can't see it." This sparked a long discussion about the sun and the clouds. I assured him the sun was there even though it seemed hidden. I told him how we wouldn't be able to see anything if the sun wasn't there. It may be cloudy, and cold but the sun was still there. He got quiet after that and all of a sudden he shouts, "there it is." He point out the passenger side window at a beam of light cutting through the clouds. I'm not completely sure, but I think he didn't believe me until he saw the sun for himself. But then, he always thinks he knows more than me. He is almost 8 after all.
I started thinking that day about what we were talking about and honestly hadn't given it much thought until today. I was reading the story of Noah and I doubled back on the story because I wanted to make sure I was remembering right. I've always been amazed by the story of Noah. Read Genesis chapter 6 sometime. God asks Noah to build a ridiculously huge boat, in the middle of dry land. He tells him a flood is coming...there's never been a flood before. He says everyone will be destroyed. Imagine this! There is no context for what God is telling Moses. When we read a news article, or even watch movies and television our brain is affected by the idea of context. Because we have seen or heard things before, it allows us to relate to what we are seeing, hearing or reading better. For example, if I'm reading a story about being at a baseball game and they describe the crack of the bat, my mind immediately comprehends what is being said. I get transported there. Noah had never seen a flood. It had never even rained before. Now God is describing a flood. What is going through his mind? But the last verse of that chapter simply says; "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did." It amazes me!
But now fast forward a little. Noah built the ark. He's got this monstrous boat sitting in his front yard. God speaks again and says a bunch of animals are on their way. Put them in the boat because in seven days the flood is coming. So Noah does it. Then, sure enough, it starts to rain. And it rains. And rains. And rains. This is that part that I went back to read. There was a window. Why is that important? Can you imagine being inside that boat listening to it rain and suddenly feel it go from sitting on dry ground to all of a sudden floating? Imagine this family huddled together in safety but probably still a little in awe of what was happening. Wouldn't you be tempted to look out the window? To try to catch a glimpse of what was happening. What would they have seen? Would they have seen homes being destroyed? People drowning as the last piece of dry land gets swallowed by the waters? What about the feeling of looking out the window and seeing nothing but water? There is nothing we have ever experienced that can put that into context for us.
As I read it today though I thought of the conversation between me and Isaac. Is the sun still there even when you can't see it, or feel it's warmth? When the clouds are blocking you from seeing the source of the light, is there still light? The answer of course is "YES". But how often do we feel lost and alone because we can't "see" God? Have you ever faced a tragedy and struggled to find meaning, or purpose or even to find peace and comfort? I'm sure we all have. We've probably all had something happen in our lives that we had no context for. We had never been through it. For some of you it may be happening right now. You feel like you are spinning trying to find direction. You are looking out the "window" and all you see is tragedy, hopelessness, and darkness. I'm telling you, God is still there. Even in the midst of darkness, Jesus is that light that shines in the darkness. I know that sounds corny and I even deleted it and rewrote it...twice. Because it's true. Isaac wanted to see the sun so that he knew it was there. I kept telling him, we wouldn't be able to see out the window if it wasn't there, just beyond the clouds. Whatever you are going through right now you need to realize, it's not as dark as it seems. God is there, He's never left you. He might be harder to see because of the clouds, but He's still there.
The bible provides context in our lives. It's because of what we have seen God do in the past that we know He can do it for us as well. Know this, God prepared Noah before tragedy struck. He had him build the ark, he had him bring his family in to keep them safe. He even had him bring the animals in because before it ever happened He had a plan on how they would rebuild. Your problems may come as a surprise to you, but they are not for God. He wants to work everyday of your life to prepare you for anything the devil may throw at you. That way, when the wind blows, the rain falls, and the sky looks dark you can look out the window and know that even though you can't see that Son, He's still there.
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