READ: Genesis 6:22-7:1 NLT
So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him. When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.”
The Bible is full of wonderful stories – and this is one of the best! Noah is asked by God to produce an enormous boat and to fill it with his family and a wonderful collection of animals and birds. We don’t know where he lived but it may well have been in the desert and the whole idea of building a boat would have seemed laughably absurd. The key to the story is that Noah trusted God and was happy to do exactly what God told him to do. He is described as being righteous, which literally means he loved doing the right things.
I thank God for people I’ve known who, just like Noah, have been happy to do apparently crazy things because they believed that God had called them. I think of many doctors that I have known who have headed out to poor parts of the world where their skills were desperately needed. The reward that they got was an income that was a tiny fraction of what they would have earned in this country – but, like Noah, they were happy to be obedient because their priority was to serve God. I think of a number of successful businessmen who have gladly moved on because they heard the Lord calling them to do different work for him.
I have to believe that Noah had lots of doubts and questions as he constructed his surprisingly large boat. Being obedient to God is bound to trigger all sorts of very good questions. But Noah pressed on and when the flood engulfed the world he and his family together with all the birds and animals were saved. When we obey God there will be lots of challenges along the way but I thank God for the peace and joy he always gives to those who obey him.




QUESTION: What would you do if God asked you do something really, really surprising?
PRAYER: God our Father, thank you for the inspiring example of Noah. Help me to be willing to be obedient to you, whatever you ask me to do, however surprising or difficult. Amen.

Released on 11 Jan 2021