Scripture Reading: Genesis 5:28-29
And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

Reflections: All the generations after Adam endured hardship on their farms because God had cursed the ground. When Lamech took over his turn on the family tree, he gave birth to a baby boy whom he purposefully named ‘Noah’ and accordingly announced that through him, men were going to experience rest from the everyday toil. The name ‘Noah means rest. The action of Lamech portrayed a man who lived with positive, godly expectations. Even though he thrived under difficult conditions, he expected the situation to change and therefore named his son to reflect his thoughts. An expectation is ‘to have a strong belief that something will happen. Like Lamech, you must have positive and godly expectations in life and work towards achieving them. The Psalmist confirms the need to have expectations in life and concludes that ‘the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever’-Psalm 9:18.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to be hopeful in life and work towards it.

Confession: I live with the expectation that good and positive things will happen to me.