The flood has ended. The ground is dry. The altar has been built and lit, and God begins to make promises to Noah and to us. It’s a new beginning. God uses the exact words that He used to Adam; you will recognize them right away. God, in effect, was saying, ‘Let’s try this again.’
But of course, everything has changed. Sin has entered the world, and we are aware of it. Violence surrounds us, and fear fights for our hearts. How can we endure? We do so with a covenant-keeping God who promises, ‘I won’t do that again.’ God offers grace and mercy to the world, allowing us to start anew. Today, we can pray the start-again prayer.
“Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. 4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. 6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind. 7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.” 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9 v 1-11)
God can start again with you.
He did it with Noah.
God will start again with you.
These are five prayers we can pray today:
“Start again with me, God: Give me a reason to live” (God said: be fruitful, increase, fill the earth, multiply)
“Start again with me, God: Provide for my life” (God said: I give you everything, not just the green plants)
“Start again with me, God: Fashion me into your image (God said: in the image of God has God made man)
“Start again with me, God: Align me with your ways (God said: But you must not …)
“Start again with me, God: I choose to live under your covenant over my life sealed with Christ’s blood (God said: I make a covenant)
Some seasons we mess up, but that season can have a new beginning.
Start again, God, start with me.
Missions Paul 