Faith like Noah

I don’t know about you, but there’s just something about hearing a song for the first time. Maybe not a new song or hymn, but it’s new to you. And that song lifts up our Saviour and gives glory to His name. It lets you see Him in a totally different light, and helps you appreciate something about Him that you’ve never thought of before.

I love when that happens, don’t you?!

It’s the same when reading a book or a blog post or someone’s Instagram thoughts…it strikes a chord in your heart and you’re sitting there nodding your head, though the author can’t see you. You stop and meditate on it. Maybe you write it down and tuck it away to read again…and again. It resinates in such a way you never want to forget it, nor do you ever want to lose that inspiration it gave you.

But if you’re like me, the newness eventually wears off, whether we want it to or not. Sometimes because its replaced by another thought, another inspiring song or quote. You know. Information overload.

Recently in my Bible reading I was in Hebrews, and to be honest with you, when I came to chapter 11, I found myself ready to go into “autopilot” because…you know, we’ve allread it before. The faith chapter. We’ve all heard it preached. Many times and in many different ways. And we know what’s coming. (Or at least we think we do.)

Am I alone here?

I’m excited to tell you that, in spite of my blasé attitude going into this chapter, the Lord graciously opened my eyes to one of the verses and He let me see it in a totally new light.

Hebrews 11: 7– By faith Noah, being warned by God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

In a nutshell, what is this verse telling us?

• Noah was warned by God of things not seen.
• He moved with fear.
• He prepared an ark. 
• And he saved his family.

In Genesis 6 we read that God looked down on the earth and saw that it was full of sin and corruption. But in the midst of all that corruption, God also saw Noah. And Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Why? Because he was a just man, he was perfect (upright) and he walked with God. 

Have you ever noticed in this passage that God didn’t askNoah to build the ark? God starts off by telling Noah how wicked the earth was and that He was going to destroy it. Then the very next words God spoke were, “Make thee an ark of gopher wood…” and the following verses are specific instructions on how to build that ark. What size. How many doors and windows. How many floors. What to put on it: food, water, animals, his family…

Then we read that Noah went online and googled, “How to know if an idea is really the will of God.” I mean, it had never ever rained on earth before! What would people think?! What would his familythink? With this new and wild thing he was supposed to do you’d think he would at least check with his family to see if they thought he was crazy. 

But he didn’t!

The very next verse says, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.“Period. 

Let’s jump back to Hebrews 11.

As a man of faith, Noah knew if he didn’t obey God’s warning he would lose his family. And he moved with fear. Fear of losing his family.

The Bible tells us that he was mocked by others and that didn’t stop him.

It took 150 years – stop and think about that! – but he still didn’t quit!

Building an ark without any power tools. For 150 years. With just you and your family. Blood, sweat and tears…and he didn’t stop.

And all for what?

Because God told him to and he knew if he didn’t he would lose his family.

Reading that verse in Hebrews made me think about our generation today. The families today.

Where are all the Noah’s? Those that have faith as he had. Moms and dads that would, by faith, obey God’s Word, to the saving of their household. Regardless of the time it took. Regardless of the years of work it took. Even if it took 150 years? (We live in a “microwave” generation and if we can’t mix it in one bowl and have it ready to eat in 90 seconds or less it’s not worth waiting for, right?!)

Regardless of what everyone else doing, Noah built his ark. He built that ark because God said if he didn’t his family would perish.

Would you agree that in so many homes today, building our family (our ark), really isn’t a priority? We don’t know how to hear from God and follow His instructions. We are giving in to suggestions (and mockery) from others. Because we don’t want to stand out. Or stand alone.

Or we’re reading everyone’s options online and getting so confused that nothing is clear anymore, and we can’t even remember what question we were looking for an answer for anyway.

We are too tired running hither and yon to spend the time to bring up our children in the way they should go because we don’t have the faith (or fear) that in doing so they will stay with God (or come back to God) when they are old (Proverbs 22:6).

By faith Noah…

It’s all about faith. Either we have the faith to believe God and obey Him or we don’t, then we go our own way and do it the way we think it should be done. Most of the time, disaster is waiting.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes. A young mom with unruly children wanting help, but when she hears what the Bible says, all the work and dedication it takes to change things, her shoulders slump and she turns and walks away. Not realizing she just chose the roughest road, not the easy one. Where was the faith to believe that God’s way is the best way? It takes faith like Noah to look years ahead and believe that what God has said is true.

Is it any wonder that in the Gospel of Luke we read, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Oh to have faith like Noah.

Like I’ve said many times, I sure want to be found faithful when the Lord comes back, don’t you?!! Let’s cheer each other on!!