Pursuing Your Call in Life

Genesis 8:15-9:17 (New International Version)
15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it."
18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though [a] every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

Genesis 9
God's Covenant With Noah 1 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 upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves 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 man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.
6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.
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 cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."
12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

Key Notes of Discussion:

- Noah acts whereas previously receives instructions as he choses to build an altar to honor God. How do you chose to honor God?

- Do you make your sacrifice out of love and obedience? How do you ensure that you are not acting with ulterior motives?

- Do you purpose to involve God in your decision making process? The bigger decisions seem to be key, what about the little ones? How do you see God making a difference?

- What does God mean in Genesis 8:4-5 "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. ' Is there any relation to Acts 10 when Peter receives the vision from God that he shall call nothing that he is created common?

- The importance of obedience to God which results to greater things with blessings flowing through to family. As we keep our covenant with God that brings us closer to our call or leads us to our call.

- Bigger picture is God's grace and mercy. Grace being what you received but don't deserve. Whereas mercy is not receiving the punishment you deserve. We receive God's grace that removes our sin from Adam and Eve, result to God's blessing on earth. However, the flood presents no mercy. God choses to have everything renewed.

NB: If we do not listen to God's call in our life, this may reduce our abundance. It is important to look up to God to receive His blessing that gives abundance. Also, there is need to recognize how sin makes things less fruitful, so we need to live each day seeking the Lord's sanctification.

- How well do we keep our covenant with God? How do you respond to God's call of filling the world with abundance, goodness and order? Do you appreciate the seasons of life?\

- How does God ensure things do not get out of control following his promise to Noah never to destroy the earth with a flood? How does a flood differentiate from hurricane?