Once upon a time, there was a man named Noah.
Noah was a good and righteous man who always did what was right, and this pleased God.
However, not everyone in the world was like Noah.
One day, God looked down at the world and saw that the people were being very wicked and not taking care of the earth. God decided to do something about it.
God told Noah to build a big boat called an ark and then gather two of every kind of animal, one male and one female, to bring with them onto the ark.
God explained that he was going to send a great flood to cleanse the earth, and the ark would keep Noah, his family, and all the animals safe.
Noah and his family toiled away for many years, working really hard to build the ark.
They made sure to follow God’s instructions and made the ark very strong. They also collected enough food for themselves and the animals, which they would need during the flood.
Once the ark had been completed, Noah, his family and all the animals went inside.
As soon as Noah and his family were safely in the ark, it began to rain. And then it rained and rained for forty days and forty nights.
Eventually, the floodwater covered the entire world, but the ark floated on the water keeping everyone dry.
Being cooped up in the ark like that, it must have felt as if the rain was going to last forever, but Noah and his family trusted God. They took care of the animals and waited for the rain to stop.
After forty days, the rain did finally stop, and so Noah sent out a dove to try and find dry land. The dove quickly returned, but after seven days, the dove was sent out again. This time the dove came back with a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak, which meant there must be dry land nearby.
Noah and his family were so happy, they knew the flood was almost over.
When God told them it was time to leave the ark, they opened the doors. Noah’s family and the animals stepped out onto dry land.
They were happy and grateful to God for saving them.
God then made a promise to Noah that He would never send such a big flood again.
As a sign of His promise, God put a beautiful rainbow in the sky. And from that day on, whenever it rains and a rainbow appears, people remember God’s love and faithfulness.
Shalom Talk 