When we think of the account of Noah and the Ark, we may remember that it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. What we might not remember, though, is that Noah and his family spent a lot longer on the Ark than that.

Genesis 8 recounts the long process of waiting for the land to dry enough to make it safe to exit from the Ark. First, Noah sent the raven, then the dove, and then the dove again. Even after the dove brought back an olive leaf, Noah waited another seven days before sending the dove out for the final time, and still, they remained on the Ark.

In total, Noah and his family were probably on board the Ark for 377 days, including the seven days before the flooding began, and for most of that time, it wasn’t raining. What patience it must have taken for Noah and his family to wait until the right moment to get off that boat and get on with their lives. Yet they knew that to jump ship too early could result in disaster.

I expect Noah felt some of the same emotions as we have felt over the past year: fear, uncertainty, impatience, longing, hope. Each time he sent out a bird with high expectations, and so often he must have been disappointed with the result. How often have we awaited an announcement, hoping for signs that the pandemic is receding, only to be met with more lockdown announcements and new waves of restrictions?

Yet today, as in Noah’s day, God’s timing is perfect. When the moment was right, God invited Noah out of the Ark and back into the world, and the first thing that Noah did was to worship the Lord. Right now, we wait like Noah. May the Lord strengthen us with patience as we await the fulfilment of his purposes.

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NEWBOLD BAPTIST CHURCH