October 15, 2008
RAIN
Over
the weekend we had a storm and I awoke to the sound of pouring rain. From the
look of things, it had been raining hard for hours. I looked out and saw the
water running down the street like it was a river. I had passing thoughts about
Noah and the flood (knowing full well that God promised not to destroy the world
by flood again.
I
went to the Bible and reread the story of Noah (Genesis 6-9). It's truly an
amazing story.
Noah
was a rarity in his day. He was a godly man.
Noah
was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with
God.
Genesis 6:9 NIV
Noah
labored for a long time to build an ark, in the midst of a world that had never
even seen rain. He was ridiculed by friends and neighbors. I don't doubt that
his boat was the laughing stock of his nation, and that people came by just to
see the weirdo at work. Through it all He persevered and worked in trust and
obedience to God.
Noah
did everything just as God commanded him.
Genesis 6:22 NIV
And
Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.
Genesis 7:5 NIV
When
the rains came, it was a different story. I'm certain that many who laughed at
Noah suddenly wanted a ride on his boat. It was too late because the Lord had
sealed Noah in and the world out.
God
rewarded Noah for his faithfulness, and allowed the rest of the world to face
the consequences of their own evil ways. They knew there was an alternative, but
they chose to reject it. Just like much of the world today, God offers them
freedom and salvation but they laugh at His offer.
We
need to be modern day Noah’s and walk in obedience. We don't have a boat to
build, but we have a message of truth to take to a lost and hurting world. There
is a God who loves them and wants to save them from themselves. All they need do
is accept Him.
Don't
worry if you feel like you're the only one. Don't worry if you get ridiculed or
persecuted. God ALWAYS rewards His faithful.
Don't
worry if you're not seeing results. It took Noah 150 years to build the ark.
Just keep walking in love and faithfulness and let God worry about the results.
Until
next time, hang in there with your faithfulness and persevere. Pray for the
salvation of those around you and share the truth in word and by the way you
live your life.
Be
blessed
Darrel
Mason