TIME TO BUILD AN ARK

As I look at cloudy skies and a forecast for more rain, I thought about Noah. Today I am repeating a blog from April 4, 2008.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 6:22

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

TIME TO BUILD AN ARK

In this part of Indiana, we are having our share of rain. We now have water standing on water. And it is raining again. I wonder if it is time to build another ark.

All of this rain got me to thinking about Noah – Now things were not going too great on earth. Wickedness. Evil. All sorts of bad stuff. So God was ready to wipe out everything.

Genesis 6:7-8 says, “So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe out mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air – for I am grieved that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

“Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” What about in the eyes of others? Can you hear it? I imagine it went something like this --

Mrs. Noah probably said, “You’re going to build what?”

And I am sure he heard from his neighbors. “Noah, what are you doing? If you keep this up, the property values will go down.”

Noah’s son Ham was in for some teasing also. “Ham, your daddy doesn’t have both oars in the water.” And Ham would have come back with, under his breath of course, “Maybe not now, but you wait and see who floats and who doesn’t.”

Then there was the trip to the local hardware. When Noah told the owner what he wanted, the owner would have wondered if he heard the order correctly – “You want how much cypress wood? You need how much pitch? I will have to order that in." Rubbing his hands together and, with a wicked grin, he most likely asked, "Will you be paying now or later?”

Think of the strength of character Noah needed to stand up to the looks. To the questions. To the laughing. And yet verse 22 tells us, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

Noah had courage. He listened to God and had the courage to do just what God commanded. We can learn from Noah. We can have courage.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

In a Bible Study, the author pointed out that when Noah shut the door, he would have been leaving family, friends and neighbors to drown. They would have been pounding on the boat. They would have been calling to Noah. Think of the courage it took to "do as God commanded."

Has God ever asked you to do something that made you choose His will over family, friends or neighbors? Have you ever taken a stand and then been laughed at or criticized? Have you ever taken a stand and then wished you had not, because the pressure was so great? Have you ever just walked away and then felt ashamed that you were not strong enough? (Remember, God will never ask us to do more than we are capable of doing. And He will give us the strength we need. We just have to trust Him.)

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear Glorious God, I am so thankful that you found Noah worthy. And that he listened to your commands. Let me learn from Noah. Let me first listen and find my strength in you. Then let me do everything you command. I do thank you for being patient with me when I am weak. When I do not listen. I ask for courage when I feel you leading me. …… Amen