A Judgement Followed by an Action

Noah walked out of his tent to get some fresh air. His steps never felt heavier. He stepped on his shadow to the river. He steadied himself against a tree.

When his knees hit the ground he looked up. “You know I never wanted children, God. This world is no place to raise a family. Now…I have three sons. I can only guess what will happen to them. I feel like I’m the only man following You. What am I going to do now?”

All the shadows disappeared. “I, too, am grieved, Noah. I’m sorry I made man to begin with. His heart is only evil. It shouldn’t be like this. I shall start over. It’s the only way. Build an ark. Use the gopher trees here. Cover it in sap inside and out. Construct three levels in it with stalls on each floor. I shall bring two of each animal to it. You, your wife, your sons and their wives will be saved as well since you believe in Me. I will start over with you and them. The remainder of all living things shall be destroyed with water.”

Noah gasped for his next breath. He rolled against the base of the tree and sobbed when the full impact struck his soul.

****

“What are you making, Noah? Never saw anyone begin a building with the roof.” The three men approaching laughed.

Noah set his ax down and faced them. “God told me to build an ark to save some animals from a flood.”

“What’s a flood?”

“Forget that, what’s a god?”

“You never have fit in, Noah. Why don’t you just lighten up and have some fun?”

Noah shook his head. “If you survive your lifestyle long enough you’ll find out why.”

****

One hundred years later the ark was complete. Noah and his family climbed the slanted door for the last time.

The three men came with more people. “You selling tickets to see what you made?”

Noah faced the crowd. “I suggest you step aside before those animals stampede you. I warned you this day was coming.”

The people were pinned against the side of the ark while a long procession of paired animals climbed aboard. The door closed when the last animal was out of sight.

One week later water came from everywhere. The ark carried its inhabitants as planned.

****

Over a year later God spoke to Noah. “It’s time to come out of the ark. All of you shall be fruitful and multiply, you and the animals with you.”

Noah made a burnt offering to God with the extra animals God told him to bring into the ark.

A cloud formed to the west and passed over the people. When it reached the eastern sky a light rain fell from it. The rainbow took everyone’s breath away.

“This shall be My covenant with you and your descendants from this day forward. Whenever I see a rainbow I shall remember that I will never use a flood to destroy the earth and its inhabitants again.”

********

Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth are the only four people named who survived the flood. Their wives were also along for the ride.

Eight people, only 8 believed God. The rest were history because of their selfish, evil tendencies. We don’t know how many people were alive back then, but eight must have been a very small percentage.

I hope the percentage is higher now, but it may not be.

The straight path still leads to a narrow gate. It’s the broad road that leads to destruction.

[Tweet “A respect for God must have been passed down to Noah”]

This communication from God took immense fortitude to complete. The ark was a century in the making. It was used for about a year. We can all thank Noah for his determination to follow through despite all the ridicule he must have faced.

Do you see yourself spending a lifetime on something that will last a short time like Noah did?

Would you do it if God told you to do it?

I’ve heard of writers who work on a book most of their life before they find a publisher who believes in it. Then, they die before it gets printed.

Was it a wasted life? God doesn’t see it that way.

Some missionaries spend decades with a group of people only to leave with only a handful of converts.

Should they have invested all that time with so few results? You can only answer yes if you have an eternal perspective.

Why did Noah have such faith while he was the vast minority?

A respect for God must have been passed down to him.

Noah’s great-grandfather was raptured from the earth sixty nine years before Noah was born. That’s how closely Enoch walked with God.

Lamech instilled into his son that Noah would comfort men from the curse made in Eden.

This massive building project passed this seriousness about God to Noah’s sons. Nobody else had time for God.

Do you?

Do you make time for God in your busy life?

Do you pass the importance of trusting God to your offspring?

Are you so caught up in your life that you don’t make time to spend with your spouse and/or children? If so they’ll never know how much God means to you.

Your actions are showing them that God isn’t that important to you anyway.

Step back for a moment and analyze your priorities. Look at it with an eternal set of eyes like you never have before.

I bet you don’t like what you see. I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on you here.

It’s never too late to do the right thing.

If it takes drastic measures to change your priorities then be bold. Be in the vast minority if that’s what it takes.

Noah lived for an audience of One.

So should we.

We have the Bible to guide us and the Holy Spirit to help us.

Reach out to God like it’s the last hope you have.

Because it is.

I’ll see you later.   Wade

By wadewebster

I'm a truck driver turned writer. My writing drives people to Jesus. I love sunsets/sunrises, dark chocolate, coffee, cats and dogs (as long as their owners pick up after them) and solitude. My relationship with God through Jesus Christ is most important to me, not a religion. This writing gig is all God's idea. I only wish to bring more attention to Jesus with it.

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