Many of my own interpretations were running through my head, but they were going nowhere. I couldn’t even find the scriptures that I was looking for. God brought me to Genesis 8 which is titled Noah’s Deliverance.
God’s Covenant with Creation
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
The seasons will surely remain as long as the earth turns (makes me think about global warming, mmh). Although the seasons will always exist. God is in control of the weather. A new season is upon us, but there are some things that God does not want to sprout. His mercy is so tender that He is giving us a chance to get it right.
I believe this word is specifically for the Midwest right now. There are many people of God and even entire ministries that have grown trees that have been producing bad fruit. God does not want to take you out. He is extending His mercy and prolonging the cold to give you a chance to repent and Him deal with you privately. God wants you to build Him an altar with a clean sacrifice that releases a soothing aroma. Woe to you who don’t repent, because the stench from your altar will be exposed publicly.
This will happen fast, no matter what you decide. Even as I’m writing the accumulated morning snow has melted and it’s only the afternoon. It is predicted to be in the 70’s in a few days. God is ready for us to grow fruit. He wants it to be good fruit that gives life. He wants us to move in power, free from perversion and scandal. Our gifts belong to Him and they have to stay clean to carry His glory.
God sealed His promise to Noah by using a rainbow as a reminder of their covenant. Today we see a rainbow when the sun and rain meet. God uses signs to catch our attention and speak if we will listen. If the sun and rain can meet as a reminder of His promise, then receive the snow and the tree buds as our sign of mercy for this season. Get delivered from whatever is keeping your sacrifice clean through sincere repentance and surrender. Watch how fast God moves. Acceleration is here. Whatever fruit you produce will be multiplied quickly.
Father, thank You for the mercy that you have extended to us in this season. Forgive us for planting, growing, or/and becoming trees that produce rotten fruit. Purge us from all of our selfish prideful motives, perversion, manipulation, greed, unforgiveness, rebellion, and our sinful imaginations. We give and surrender it all to you. We repent of behavior that has made our sacrifice unacceptable and ask You to clean us completely with the blood of Jesus. Restore and heal our souls. We want to create an alter that releases a soothing aroma. Let everything that we produce give you glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen!