God Remembered
Genesis 8
Whether it’s a new job, changing schools, or moving into an unfamiliar neighborhood, new beginnings can be unsettling. The words “reset” and “restart” seem to encapsulate Genesis chapter 8.
When Noah and his family stepped out of the ark, they entered a world they did not recognize. The rhythms they once knew were gone, and familiar landmarks had been washed away. Although everything around them had changed, their need to trust God had not. It is comforting to note that the same God who brought Noah safely into the ark is the same God who brought him out of the ark. This new beginning for Noah and his family was not accidental or driven by circumstance—it was initiated by God Himself.
When I read that “God remembered Noah” (Genesis 8:1), it reminds me that God had never forgotten Noah. He had been faithful throughout Noah’s life—during those years of building the ark and waiting for the rain and flood to arrive.
I’ve learned that waiting is one of the hardest lessons of faith. Trusting God’s process and His timing does not come naturally. One detail that stands out in Genesis 8 is that while Noah sat in the ark, God was actively preparing new ground. Noah sought assurance by sending out a raven, but the raven never returned. Eventually, he sent out a dove, which returned with a small olive leaf—a simple sign that new life was beginning somewhere beyond what Noah could see. But he still had to wait.
Even when the ark rested and the land became more visible, Noah could not rush ahead of God’s timing. He waited until the Lord gave clear instruction to step out. And that’s the lesson—don’t get off the ark until God says so.
A lesson I’ve learned is that sometimes faith is about building, and other times it’s about waiting—or even stepping into unfamiliar territory.
That lesson has taken on fresh meaning for my family and me over the past year and a half. After serving in full-time ministry for twenty-three years, I experienced an unexpected disruption that felt like a massive reset. I had long believed, as do many others, that God would lead me in a certain direction, only to realize He had something far better in mind. What followed was a season of hardship, uncertainty, and waiting—a stretch of time that felt much like Noah on the ark, trusting God while watching and waiting for the dove to return with a sign that there was new ground ahead.
In moments of resetting and restarting, I’m reminded that it was not the raven—the scavenger—that brought hope and clarity to Noah; it was the dove. The dove reminds me of the Holy Spirit, who comes with subtle assurances that align with God’s Word—gentle reminders that it is going to be okay, that God never forgets His promises, and that there is new territory ahead, even if it has not yet been fully revealed.
When Noah finally stepped onto dry ground, his first response was not to explore, build, or settle—it was worship. Scripture tells us that Noah built an altar to the LORD (Genesis 8:20). In response, God spoke a promise—not only that He would never again flood the earth, but that life itself would continue in seasons:
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).
If we trust, obey, and are patient, every reset and every restart is an opportunity to see what God has on the horizon (Romans 8:28). God remembers His people—not because He ever forgets, but because He is always at work. And just as He carried Noah through the flood, He remains faithful to carry us forward through every season.