Genesis 8:1-12 (NRSV)
Read Genesis 8:1-12 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 8But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; Verse 2the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, Verse 3and the waters gradually receded from the earth. At the end of one hundred fifty days the waters had abated;
Verse 4and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Verse 5The waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.
Verse 6At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made Verse 7and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Verse 8Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; Verse 9but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. Verse 10He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; Verse 11and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Verse 12Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.
Devotion
“I remember you!” We’ve probably all heard that a time or two. To be remembered is to know we’re cared about and not forgotten. God didn’t forget the inhabitants of the ark. God may have chosen to send the destruction of the flood, but the inhabitants of the ark were precious to God. The care of God’s precious creatures is now in our hands. We may embody that care by providing loving homes for pets, supporting wildlife preservation organizations, and many other ways.
Prayer
Lover of all creation, thank you for the opportunities you give us to embody your love in our care for your precious creatures. Amen.