When the Lord saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe off from the face of the earth mankind, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky – for I regret that I made them.” Noah, however, found favor in the sight of the Lord. These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God. And Noah fathered three sons: Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness. God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth. Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore, I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. And Noah did this. He did everything that God had commanded him. Genesis 6:9-14, 22
By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7
My words…
Praise
Father, I know you don’t have eyes with retinas, but You see. You don’t have ears with cochleae, yet You hear. Your heart doesn’t pump blood through ventricles, yet You experience heartache – like when You watched the depraved acts of Your beloved creation as they abandoned their devotion to You. They debased themselves and wallowed in the most despicable of sins. So You made the decision to destroy what You had once called “good.” (I can almost hear Satan saying, “Darn. Now I have to start all over again.”) Noah lived as the lone voice of righteousness, and he was given a task that would put his outstanding faith to the test. He began to prepare for an event that had never taken place before. He had no idea what it would look like, yet he prepared for it with his whole, faith-filled heart. He pleaded with his neighbors to turn from their way of life before the torrent of water destroyed them all, but they only hurled insults and taunted him: “A flood? Why would we believe a crazy idea like that?” Your Spirit worked mightily in Noah, for he never stopped working until You closed the door of the ark he had made. And the cleansing water fell, washing away the grime of sin. You are a long-suffering Lord, waiting until only one godly man remained before pronouncing judgement on the unrepenetant wicked. You are the God who provides a way of escape for those who walk with You.
Prayer for me
You have said, and I believe, there is a great day of judgement approaching – a date only You know. A world-wide cleansing will take place. For thousands of years, Your word and Your people have proclaimed this event will occur. I have no idea what that day will look like, for there has never been a day like it. But like Noah, I am preparing for it nonetheless, living in a world that taunts and hurls insults: “Why would you believe a crazy idea like that?” It’s a walk of faith. Some days I skip along the path, confident in what I believe while other days, I shuffle along, pummeled by naysayers who don’t care about me and gently jabbed by those who do. I pray for a faith like Noah, a faith that will keep me walking with You.
Forgive me
Forgive me for my lack of faith – for the days when I actually take the time and energy to lend an ear and a part of my mind to scoffers, unbelievers, pessimists. Forgive me for allowing their venom to sting my heart.
Prayer for others
Noah’s enemies assaulted him personally, face-to-face. In my society, I am assaulted via the internet by anonymous nonbelievers who spout profanity, blasphemy, and hatred. Their hearts are made of granite. But Your Spirit can penetrate any soul, so I pray for those who view You as mythological, judgmental, or egotistical. How Your name will be glorified when one of them abandons his former way of thinking and joins You on the walk that leads to faith like Noah.
Thank You
How blessed are the faithful! You provide for those who follow Your ways – You provide in ways seen and unseen. The lives of the faithful are not always filled with earthly wealth or public recognition, but You grant us what we need to continue in our lives of praise and faith. You have provided for me my whole life. I have never gone hungry, lacked a pillow for my head, or feared for my life. How blessed am I! Thank You, Lord God!
More praise
You are the God who opened the earth below and skies above, purging the earth of those who refused to obey Your word through Noah. You are the holy judge of earth – now and forever. Your judgment is righteous. Your discernment is true. Your ways are perfect. Amen.
