Read Genesis 8; 9:8-17

MORNING— The Olive Leaf

• Focal Passage: Genesis 8:11

🌿“The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth”

For days, Noah could see nothing but water. The ark drifted without landmarks, direction, or timetable. Then one evening, the dove returned—not with answers, but with an olive leaf. It was a small sign, but it was enough. Dry land was forming. Life was returning. God was at work beyond what Noah could see.

The olive branch did not mean the journey was over. The waters were still receding. The ark door was still closed. But hope had been placed into Noah’s hands. God often does that—offering reassurance before resolution, signs before outcomes, encouragement before clarity.

Sometimes we want God to open the door immediately. Instead, He sends us an olive branch—a quiet reminder that He has not forgotten, that change is underway, that waiting has not been wasted. Hope is not always loud. Often it arrives gently, carried back by faith.

If Noah had ignored the olive leaf, he would have missed what God was doing. But he noticed. And noticing strengthened his patience.

• Reflection: What “olive branch” might God be placing in your life right now—small signs of hope that invite you to trust Him while you continue to wait?

---

EVENING— The Promise in the Sky

Focal Passage: Genesis 9:15

“And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

When Noah finally stepped onto dry ground, his first response was worship. Before building a home or planning a future, he built an altar. Gratitude overflowed before answers were complete. And God responded—not with demands, but with a promise.

In Genesis 9, God makes a covenant with Noah and all creation. Never again would the earth be destroyed by flood. The sign of that promise was a rainbow—a bow set in the clouds. In ancient terms, a bow was a weapon. God was, in effect, hanging up His bow, declaring mercy.

The rainbow still speaks today. It reminds us that judgment is restrained, grace is offered, and repentance is still possible.

Also, the seasons (8:22):  4 times a year in much of the world, God changes the canvases.  Snow on Lake Eerie in January, Rain and Mud in Lucas, Ohio (my hometown) during March, the longer days of summer at the beach or wherever you vacation in June, and the deciduous trees shedding their leaves in September. 

These things remind us of the faithfulness of God.  The world keeps turning. God continues to bless. The seasons too are a sign from God He will be faithful to the covenant He made with Noah. 

God’s faithfulness does not mean life will be easy. It means He will never abandon His promises. Even when circumstances are confusing, even when outcomes are delayed, God remains Semper Fidelis—Always Faithful.

• Reflection: What promise of God do you need to trust again tonight, even if the fulfillment has not yet come?

• Closing Prayer: Faithful God, thank You for remembering Your people and keeping Your promises. Help me trust You in seasons of waiting and recognize Your mercy in every sign of hope You place before me. Tonight, I rest in the assurance that You are always faithful. Amen.