The Dove

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.  Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again.

Remember the story of Noah and the ark?  God made sure that birds were taken on the voyage of all voyages, when the rest of creation was destroyed.  And it was a bird that God told Noah to release from the ark at the end of the rain to see if all was well, and the flood was receding.

In this story, the bird was a dove.  The dove carried a leaf back to the ark and this signaled to Noah that the water was down.  The next time the dove flew, it did not return because it no longer needed the safety of the ark – because the sun had dried up all the rain.

Every time we see a rainbow, we remember God’s promise to Noah after the flood.  But I think we should also think of the story when we see a dove.

Maybe we’re in a flood right now and feel as though we’re about to drown, never to reach the safety of dry ground again.

Observe the doves of the air and remember God’s promises.  They are true, he is faithful, and he is a restorative God of all good things.