After Seven Days

And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. Genesis 7:10.
For seven days after Noah and his family entered the ark, there appeared no sign of the coming storm. During this period their faith was tested. It was a time of triumph to the world without. The apparent delay confirmed them in the belief that Noah’s message was a delusion, and that the Flood would never come. Notwithstanding the solemn scenes which they had witnessed … they still continued their sport and revelry, even making a jest of these signal manifestations of God’s power. They gathered in crowds about the ark, deriding its inmates with a daring violence which they had never ventured upon before.
At the end of seven days clouds began to gather. This was a new sight; for the people had never seen clouds…. Soon rain began to fall. Still the people tried to think that this was nothing very alarming…. For a time the ground drank up the rain; but soon the water began to rise, and day by day it rose higher and higher. Each morning as the people found the rain still falling they looked at one another in despair, and each night they repeated the words, “Raining still!”
The people first beheld the destruction of the works of their own hands. Their splendid buildings, and the beautiful gardens and groves where they had placed their idols, were destroyed by lightning from heaven, and the ruins were scattered far and wide…. The terror of man and beast was beyond description. Above the roar of the tempest was heard the wailing of a people that had despised the authority of God…. In that terrible hour they saw that the transgression of God’s law had caused their ruin. Yet while, through fear of punishment, they acknowledged their sin, they felt no true contrition, no abhorrence of evil. They would have returned to their defiance of Heaven, had the judgment been removed. So when God’s judgments shall fall upon the earth before its deluge by fire, the impenitent will know just where and what their sin is—the despising of His holy law. Yet they will have no more true repentance than did the old-world sinners.
Conflict and Courage p. 40
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for Eileen. She is still having a back problem which has caused her legs to be very weak and unable to move freely. I also have an unspoken request. Rose
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Dear Friends,
When I was in my late teens, I worked in a factory that made children’s clothing. The working conditions were not at all good, but it was a job and I was glad to have it. Many people were out of work at that time. We got paid by how many garments we did. My mother worked there too and did much better than I because she was much faster.
It was a Monday through Friday job and that left me free to go to church on Sabbath. One week, however, our boss called a meeting for all employees. Everyone had to work on Saturdays. No one was to be excused. That was not a problem for my mother, but it was a big problem for me. (I had recently learned that the Sabbath was still God’s holy day and that He had never changed it.) I knew I could not go to work on that day. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex 20:8 “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isa 58:13,14
At that time unemployment rates were quite high and finding a job was not that easy. This thought pressed upon my mind, but I knew God could work things out. After praying, I went to Andy, the boss, and explained to him why I could not work on Sabbath. Andy told me that I was expected to be there anyway.
God raised up someone to help me. It was my own mother, who was very much against my religion. But God moved her to help me. She talked to Andy about it and God gave her the words Andy needed to hear. She said, “Andy, you of all people, should know why she cannot work on Saturday.” Andy, who was a Jew, understood. I did not lose my job. He let me continue working just the five days a week.
I was very thankful that God used my mother to help me. She was my “way of escape.” “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor 10:13
Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3 He promises the Holy Spirit to those who are obedient. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” John 14:15, 16 Paul says, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” Acts 5:32
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev 22:14 May we keep His commandments out of our love for Him. May we we be faithful to Him Who died for us. May we soon hear Him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matt 25:23
Rose