Before I was ordained as a pastor, I served for a summer as a student at a church called St. David’s.

We held a Vacation Bible Camp. On one of the days we taught about Noah and the flood. We often think about it as a children’s story. After all it has a bunch of nice animals. But it’s also a story full of fear and punishment and dread!

Wickedness had enveloped the earth. The only righteous person left was Noah. God instructed him to build an ark. He got mocked, but his family was then saved from the destruction that followed. 

While teaching about this story (in an age appropriate way!) one of the kids put up his hand and said: “I think the rain was God’s tears.” 

Out of the mouths of babes!

Theologically it actually made a lot of sense. Consider Genesis 6:7: “The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.”

His heart was deeply troubled.

The boy had wondered if God’s tears (which he envisioned as raindrops falling from the sky) were because he was both sad and angry—sad because of what was happening in his world, and angry because violence, death and Satan had ensnared so many.

Why am I telling you this?

First, children often have insightful things to say. Since they’re so young it’s easy to discount their thoughts. That’s a mistake. We are wise to listen.

Second, we should always be open to how an old familiar story can teach us new things. One of the things I’ve discovered is that every time I re-study a familiar passage I learn something new.

The same can be true for you. Continue to be open to what God might be teaching you. Continue to ask questions. Continue to grow.

No one is every truly finished reading the word of God because the word of God is never truly finished with us.

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Notes:

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on July 10, 2023.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.