LEARNING DAILY

 

Hebrews 11:7, It was by faith that Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood.  He obeyed God, who warned him about something that had never happened before.  By his faith he condemned the rest of the world and was made right in God’s sight.  (New Living Translation)

 

My imagination can run a little crazy about the conversation between God and Noah.  I wonder if Noah had questions.  “You want me to build what because what is going to happen?”   “What is an ark?”   “What is rain?”  Regardless, Noah was willing, by faith, to believe what God said about the future and willing to risk his reputation on what God told him would come to pass.

 

By the time God spoke to Noah about building the ark, the wickedness on earth had become so bad that God was sorry He had created mankind.  I consider that verse in Genesis and I wonder what God would say about the wickedness on earth today.  We are certainly living in a day that evil is called good and good is called evil.  When God looked upon mankind, He found only one man and his family that was righteous.  You need to understand the significance of this by considering the there were millions of people in the world at this time; Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives were the only ones found to be righteous!  Understand that it was God’s grace that saved this family, not their righteousness.

 

“Hey, Noah what are you building?”  “An ark.”  “What’s an ark?”  “Oh, it’s a boat and animals from all over the world are going to go on it because a flood is coming?”  Noah, what is a flood?”  You ask your own questions and consider the mocking the people must have thrown at Noah.  Noah demonstrated his faith in the face of the world’s corruption and opposition.  So, Noah built the ark and the animals came.  The animals, Noah and his family got on the ark and God closed the door.  Then the rains came and those left there quickly found out what rain and a flood meant.  You know the story.

 

The story of Noah is quite amazing.  He boldly proclaimed God’s righteousness to an evil world, to an evil people.  He took God at His word and trusted that it was true and fulfilled the mission God gave him to do.  He lived what the Bible says we are to do – come to God by faith and then live our lives by faith.  We can never successfully live our lives by works or achievements or any moral achievements.  No, we live our lives believing that God exists, diligently seeking Him and He rewards those who live that way!  Read what Peter wrote in his first letter in verse 9 of chapter 2, ”But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people.  You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession.  This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.”  (New Living Translation).  As believers we are set apart for God, as a holy nation, to proclaim the gospel of salvation to His glory and praise.  Not everyone is to preach or teach.  But the way you live your life, the way you talk are ways that show you are different because of who your Lord is.  It has been said by many that your life may be the only Bible someone might read.  I want others to see the light of Jesus in me and see Him.  We need to be Noahs in this evil, dark world we live in!