It’s been raining here for the last two and a half days, so I find it quite fitting that today we examine the story of Noah, well the beginnings anyways! Enjoy!
Its not just the prospering that is important, btu HOW we prosper. In this story, humanity did multiply, but became corrupt, because int hat multiplication mankind turned away from God. We are to be fruitful, and to multiply, but we must always rely on the Lord to help us, and pray constantly for us and our children and our children’s children, that they may ALL walk in the Lord. It is not enough that we do so, but we must do everything we can to instill values into our children that teach them to walk with God also.
God limits our life, so we must make the best of the time we have! We never know when the end will come for us, so we have to be careful to live each day sold out for God!
God knows our intentions, and so we have to keep our heart in check at all times. God sees all evil being done, as well as all good, and God will judge us accordingly. There is no excuse for us as believers…we have the truth, nad we have to learn what to do with that truth. We have to multiply our minas, and we have to make sure that those around us know the truth also. God will see if we have evil intentions, and while there may be no rammifications here on earth, eternally the punishments will be great if we dont clean up our hearts nad onlyhave good intentions in our actions
God knows our emotions…He has them too. When we are overwhelmed, when we’re sad, when we’re grieving, we have to remember that God knows what that feels like, and only He can take it away. Jesus took all our sorrow on the cross, and we can ask Him to comfort us in our hour of need. God grieved, and so must we be allowed to grieve. Grieving does not mean we’re weak, it is necessary, and it enables God to work more strength into our lives when we come OUT of adversity. Never be afraid to show God your feelings, or to tell God all about what is troubling you..God knows, and God cares.
Jesus was also one man who saved humanity. There are a lot of paralells between this story and the gospel….Satan thought he had won, he had ruled over every human being alive. But there was one man that Satan did not rule over – Noah. Noah didn’t just build an ark, he cultivated a relationship with God and therefore saved the human race from being wiped out. Jesus Christ was the ultimate salvation, and because Jesus chose to die on a cross for us, we were saved from ETERNAL death, not just earthly death. Satan thought He had won then too, only to discover that God triumphs always over death. WE could never save ourselves, Jesus did it for us, and so we rely on Jesus now and always to uphold us, and on His blood to wash us clean.
If we walk with God, if we cultivate that relationship with God, if we rely on God and be intimate with God, we too can do incredible things. The bible talks about men who walked with God, and who did well beyond their means. So too can we, if we rely on God for our strength and talk to God all the time. Its a lifestyle – constantly going to God for every move we make, but its worth it. Only God can manage our lives. It makes sense to allow the creator to guide us…..who better!
God knows when we are wronged…God sees it, and God is saddened. We can take comfort in knowing that God knows all, and that even though evil runs rampant over the earth right now, that God will have His vengence, and that all things will come to light in time. We are never alone, we are never forsaken, and God will never leave us. God can comfort our hearts when noone else can.
God saves humanity from an earthly death through a man…..and then saves humanity from eternal death through His son.
We can be sure that when God tells us to do something, He goes before us and makes the way straight, and that every single detail is thought of and taken care of. When we listen to God’s voice, and do as He asks, we will be amazed at how every detail is maintained
Noah’s faithfulness reaps eternal rewards that echo throughout all eternity….they’re never ending. Noah made a covenant with God not just for him, but for everyone after him. Our faithfulness too can reap eternal rewards, and though it may not seem to profit much now, we can never fully understand the eternal consequences of our actions.
Convenants are very important in the OT, they’re Gods promises to us. They still apply today, because they are unbreakable. God promises us many things, but these things are conditional. God’s promises should never be taken lightly….they’re very serious, and they’re very real. When we do as the bible tells us to do, we are rewarded…there is nothing ambiguous about it at all. But we have to do as God asks us to. That requires obedience and faithfulness, but reaps great rewards in return!
God provided everything for Noah after the flood as well as during, including all the animal life. God provides for us before, during and after stormy seasons in our lives, with great detail and with exact precision
God is able to provide for anything, nomatter how big the task may be. I cannot fathom how much food Noah and all those animals must have needed, and yet God provided for them all daily. I am amazed at the power of God, it is beyond all logical understanding, but that same power is available to us today, tomorrow, and forever. We should never be afraid…..if God can do that, God can do anything, and God will always provide for us even if the challenge seems too much!
The kind of mocking Noah must have endured is beyond me…but I have seen those who follow Christ mocked also, and I take comfort in knowing that the end result is always worth it. The world can laugh, because it is corrupted…how can the world possibly understand a God who is beyond all human understanding? Only the HS can reveal God and His ways to us, and if we dont have the HS then of course we’re not going to get it. I cannot expect those I meet who aren’t followers of Jesus Christ to understand why I do the things I do any more than I can ask an Ant to understand the universe….its just not possible. When we have different mindsets we have to remember compassion…Noah must have endured terrible mocking and persecution from those around him, because they were under Satan’s rule….but Noah was faithful, and God was faithful in return. We have to keep our eyes on the prize, and have mercy for those who laugh at us…..they dont understand, ebcause they dont have the revelation that we do. We just have to love them, nad be faithful to God.
Application Prayer: Father God, thankyou that you saved the human race from earthly death through Noah…but even more that you saved us from eternal death through Jesus! Thankyou that you provide for our every need, nomatter how detailed! Thankyou that you see injustice in the world, and that you mourn for it as we do….you are a loving God, and you know our pain, because you have emotions just like we do. Thankyou that you sent your only Son to show us that you love us so much, and so that we could come to you and be clean. Father God, I pray today, that you call to mind the storms in my life, and allow me to thank you for always providing for me, before, during and after. Help me to have more faith that in my times of trial, you are bigger than anything If ace, and that you can provide for me nomatter how big the task at hand is. I ask that you give me strength to endure any persecution that comes my way – that you allow me to do your will always and give me the strength to forsake all others. I want to be a willing servant to you Lord, help me to be the one who says “Yes Lord” when you call. Help me to be sensitive to your spirit, so that I may build whatever ark you have in store for me in my life! Let me be the one you call on Lord, today, tomorrow and always. I am willing, I am able, send me! Thankyou Jesus for your guidance, and help me to know the next step you want me to take…I seek only to follow your will. In Jesus name. AMEN!
