Wouldn’t you love to have known Noah personally? I would! What did he do? What did he NOT do? Imagine that scenario: “to be blameless and walk with God”. In Genesis 6:9 Noah is called ” righteous, blameless among the people of his time.”
Noah didn’t live in utopia. He lived in an “earth that was filled with wickedness” also called a “corrupt world.” (See Genesis 6:11)
Yet, we know he obeyed God, verse 22. “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” The Bible does not say Noah questioned or argued; he simply did as he was told.
If you are a parent you might be saying ‘why can’t I have a child like that?’ Maybe God’s question to you is ‘Why can’t you obey Me the first time?, Why can’t you trust Me enough, accept My love for you to know that I do know what is best for you?
Why can’t we voluntarily submit our will? How, in the face of laughter and mockery, in a world filled with wickedness, can we obediently ‘build our arks’? What can we do, should we do, when it feels like God is asking too much? When we simply think “I CAN”T POSSIBLY DO IT!”
We must remember God promises never to leave or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
We need to recite this promise to ourselves- reminding us of His great goodness and love for us. When our faith is running low we need to pray as in Mark 9:24, “Lord I do believe, help my disbelief”.
The wise realize we can learn to practice “righteousness” by taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. Thoughts become actions and the overflow is obedience to Him. As we practice obedience we draw closer to God. He promises in James 4:8 that when we “draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to us”.
As we draw closer to Him, we can walk with Him, and “through Christ, I can do all things, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
He calls His children to hard things. And, He promises to supply our needs as we journey through those hard things, tough times, and heart-wrenching moments.
Maybe like me, you also need a friendly reminder of this truth today. We are each facing hard thing, tough times and heart-wrenching moments; yet, we are not alone.
We will remember these times. Those close to us will recall how we acted during these times. And God will remind us of His assessment of our choices when one day we meet face-to-face.
Let’s pray we draw nearer to Him, act a little more like Him, each day.
Let’s walk with God. Let’s develop a heart for His ways. Let’s ask Him to help us do the very hard things.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your constant care and Your belief in me. Thank You for Your promises, to see me through hard things. You know my challenges, and You supply my needs. Help me to ask You when I am lacking anything, especially when I am lacking faith. Thank You for drawing closer to me as I draw nearer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.