Shut in or Shut out

Genesis 7:16b – The Lord shut him in.”

Noah had done everything the Lord commanded and now his family and all the animals were safe in the ark. “Then the Lord shut him in.”  God didn’t shut Noah out, He shut him in to keep him safe. Shut in on an ark with his family and hundreds of animals…Hum? Sound like Paradise?  Just imagine feeding all those animals, and when you feed animals, nature takes over and…well you know what I mean. Add a year with your grown children who think they know more than you do. Somehow, I imagine those were the most challenging 365 days of Noah’s life.

Have you ever been “shut in” by God?  You have done what He asked of you, and you feel pretty good about your obedience and then,” Wham!”, He shuts you in. Since You have been obedient, surely your “shut-in” (waiting) time will be spent on the beaches of Hawaii relaxing after all your hard work. Not!  At least not for Noah and often not for us either. Seems there are lessons that can only be learned during those uncomfortable “shut-in” days. But be reminded, you are not being “shut out,” but “shut in” with God. Only when the waiting is over, do we see the destruction He kept us from and the awesome future He was preparing for us.

Lord, I have been shut-in by You and I remember the pain and confusion. I knew I had been obedient, but You stopped me in my tracks and seemingly put me in an ark of testing. Then, when the time was right and the way was safe, You released me to an even greater and more fulfilling work than I could have imagined. Thank You for the ark of safety and testing. The beauty of the ark is that it kept my focus on You. Thank You for knowing just the right time to release me for service. The rain only lasted 40 days, but the rainbow is a forever reminder of God’s grace. Every time I see a rainbow may I remember my personal ark and rejoice in Your awesome promise and protection.