May 1, 2024

FAITH OBEYS WHEN GOD SPEAKS

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:7 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

Have you ever stopped to think about what others were saying about Noah?

Noah must have had a lot of critics. Imagine your neighbor telling you God spoke to them and told them a flood is coming. Then they tell you God gave them a design for a boat that will save humanity and animals. Then they begin to build this boat in their front yard—with no lake in sight.

I think that perhaps the biggest person Noah had to convince was himself. Noah had to overcome the voices in his head telling him he was crazy, confused, or missing something. Most scholars believed Noah worked between 55 and 75 years building the ark. Every day he worked. The job must have seemed to be impossible.

God warned Noah “about things that had never happened before.” No one had seen or heard of a flood. Yet Noah believed what God told him and by faith he started to build.

I’m pretty sure Noah didn’t set down and develop a 75-year plan on how to build the ark. He just started doing what he could do and figured it out one day at a time. He had to start with gathering a lot of wood. It was probably years before there was anything that looked like a boat. Noah was starting with nothing to build what God had put in his heart.

This is what God calls faith. Faith obeys when God speaks. And faith to keep obeying regardless of if you are the only person doing it. The indication from scripture is that it was just Noah and his sons building the ark. It was not a community project with lots of experienced builders. This was one family working together to get the ark built.

I believe God has an “ark” for everyone to build. It may not be a specific boat, but you were put on this earth to accomplish a divine purpose and plan. It will take a lifetime to accomplish God’s full plan for your life. There will be good days and bad days. There will be failures and disappointments. But if you choose to obey God in the good times and the bad times you will discover you are moving daily closer to your destiny. 

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit help me to hear Your voice. Help me to have clarity about Your challenge for my life. Give me the courage to daily work towards the destiny You have for me—even if no one else is going this same way. 

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”