JANUARY 13, 2026
Topic: “WAIT FOR THE WORD: IT’S A NEW BEGINNING“
Text: Genesis 8:1-19
Memory Verse: “Then God said to Noah, come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives” – Genesis 8:15-16.
A watchman was standing guard on top of an ancient city wall in the middle of the night. The darkness was total, the world was quiet and the city below was fast asleep. The watchman’s duty was not to guess what the morning brings, nor to run off and start his day’s work prematurely. His entire purpose was simply to stay alert, focused and wait. This discipline of patiently waiting is what many people find quite difficult. However, in our text for this reflection, Noah demonstrates alignment with God by patiently waiting for God’s instruction after the waters of the flood had receded and the ground was completely dry. He was not overtaken by excitement or curiosity as to hurriedly jump out of the Ark to experience the new world.
Also, like the watchman in our illustration, Noah did not just passively sit; he was actively vigilant and expectant of the next word from the Lord. Noah had done a few checks on how much the water had gone down after the flood, but he did not move out of the Ark, he sat in there until God spoke to him and asked him to get out of the Ark along with the other survivors of the flood who were with him in the Ark.
Noah refused to yield to the inner pressure to go down and start his daily tasks; he knew that moving ahead of God and before the appointed time could be disastrous. Acting prematurely might mean missing the vital signs of the new beginning. He would rather wait for God the initiator and perfecter of all that had happened to determine what the next steps would be, see 1 Sam 13:8-14. Heb 6:15; 10:36.
Just as the watchman waits for the dawn to signal the appropriate time for action, patiently waiting for instruction from God provides clarity and the perfect timing, ensuring we do not run ahead of His plan, which often leads to mistakes or using our own limited strength.
The waiting period is not wasted time; it is a time of preparedness, growth and renewed strength (Isaiah 40:31). It expresses our confidence that God, who works for those who wait for Him (Isaiah 64:4), will provide the necessary instructions at the perfect moment because it is all about Him.
PRAYER: Lord help me to learn the discipline of waiting patiently for your instruction concerning the next steps of my life, Amen.