Voyage of Trust

2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

     “Well Noah, he built Him, he built Him an arky arky…” “Who built the ark? Noah, Noah. Who built the art? Brother Noah built the ark.”

     These lyrics may sound familiar as many have sung them as children, in the church or maybe with your children. The story of Noah. From summers and vacation Bible school to bedtime stories, the story of Noah and the ark is thousands of years old yet is still told from one generation to the next. It's not your typical happy ending story though, is it! We tell of the great big boat that Noah built because God asked him to. We tell about how the animals went into the ark two by two, and how Noah and his family were saved. But, then everybody else dies! The upside to the story is the ending and God's promise with the rainbow. His promise would be that He would never let another catastrophe like this destroy the entire earth with all the creatures in it- Genesis 8:21. So, is this a story with rainbows and butterflies or a tragedy? Perhaps both, but the lessons learned can be passed on from generation to generation too.

     I have had the opportunity to visit the replicated “Ark” in Kentucky a couple of times. Each time upon arrival, I was still in awe of such a sight.  All I could think of was “WOW!”  Seeing the structure up close helped me gain a more accurate perspective on the enormous task that Noah was given and the responsibility that God gave him and his family, to build the ark and care for all the animals.  Once inside of the boat there were three levels, cages for different kinds of animals, feeding troughs, clay pots for water, and living quarters for Noah and his family. Each time I left with a new outlook of how it may have been in Noah’s time while on their voyage of trust. Let’s look at a few lessons we can glean from this well-loved Bible story.

One – Don’t miss the boat: Mark 13:32-33, Matthew 25:13

     Jesus has promised in John 14:1-3 that not only has He gone to prepare a home for us He will be coming back to take us home to live with Him. What He did, His sacrifice on the cross made away for us to have salvation and eternal life. What Jesus didn't tell us was when He would come again. So often we live our lives recklessly, following what everyone else does, thinking we have all the time in the world. We forget, tomorrow is not promised. Jesus is coming again, and He will take those who have obeyed Him while on this earth and lived their lives spreading the good news and doing their best to keep Jesus in their heart and in their lives and actions. This will be the most important day in history, don't miss the boat! Choose to live for Jesus today, tomorrow very might well be too late.

Two – Remember that we are all in the same boat: Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:11

          The saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved. Too many of us worry about tearing each other down but we need to build each other up. If I've learned anything over the years, it’s that I can't do this alone. We all have been given communities, churches, family, and friends to remind us that we don't have to do this alone. As Christians, as God's family, we each are given a network to support us, and we can be a support to others. We are all in the same boat with one goal in mind, heaven, an eternal home with our Savior. Let's be in the business of working together and building each other up.

Three – Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark: Proverbs 27:23, Luke 14:28-33

     One thing I never thought about until I visited the Ark Encounter was how much preparation had to have gone into everything, before the boat was even ready to float. Noah had to store food in advance for both his family and the animals. That had to take time. During those years the boat was being built, and Noah was preaching, he was planning ahead. We are called to prepare our lives when opportunity comes. It will only be then that we will be ready when the time comes.

“If you don’t sweat in practice you WILL bleed in battle. When your time of opportunity comes (which it will) it is too late to prepare. Only those who prepare in advance will be ready when their time comes. Success is when preparation meets opportunity.”- johnbarrettblog.com

     It wasn’t raining when Noah began to build the ark. If he had waited for the rain, he would not have been ready for the flood. What are you doing today to prepare for your tomorrows? “You can be an overnight success after 20 years of hard work.”- unknown

Four – Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big: Genesis 7:6, 2 Kings 22:1

     Noah was hundreds of years old when he was called by God to build the ark and Moses was in his eighties when he went to speak to Pharaoh. On the other hand, Josiah was eight when he was called to be a king, and Joseph was only seventeen years old when he was sold into slavery. The point is whether you're 5 or 505 God can still use you to do a mighty work for Him. Just let Him.

Five – Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done: Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:6

     Noah preached for hundreds of years to people who weren't willing to listen. It's pretty obvious. Noah probably just sounded like a crazy old man, especially when there had never been rain before. Despite the haters Noah stood firm in God, leaned on His promises and they came to pass. Noah persevered because he was called to get the job done.

     You will have haters in this life, that’s a fact. Not everyone you meet is for you, even friends can turn around and bite you. But one thing I know, if God is for you no one can be against you and if God is all you have, you have everything you need. "Noah didn't stop building the Ark to explain himself to every doubter & hater. Keep building & let the rain do the talking!"- quote from FaceBook

Six – – For safety’s sake, travel in pairs: Matthew 18:20, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

     Many of the animals God directed Noah to bring into the Ark came in twos. In the workplace, as well as the family, it is always a good idea to team with others who can share the pressures as well as the actual work.

Seven – Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic by professionals:

2 Corinthians 12:9, Matthew 19:26

     In everything that I have read, Noah was not a professional ark maker. Even if he was, the task God put before him was nothing like anyone had seen before. God could've given the task to anyone, but he chose a little old man and his family. Why? Because God saw his heart, his willing and faithful heart. God doesn't always call the qualified, but He qualifies the called. Give God what you have, give Him your all and watch Him do amazing things.

Nine- No matter the storm, when you’re with God, there’s always a rainbow on the horizon:

Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:18

     Things might look like a hot mess right now, but trust that God is in full control. Trust in God's promises. If God promises it, you can believe it! He is faithful even when we are not. His Word will not return to Him void. Noah trusted that what God said would come to pass, and it did. There are great things on the horizon because God has promised!

     As I began to dig into this story, I found a lot of lessons we could learn but if I wrote them all out, we would be here all day. So here are a few more, read them, see if you can match Bible verses with them, and see what lessons you may be able to come up with, from them. God is teaching each of us in different ways and maybe some of these will be new lessons for you that could apply to your life. Keep the story alive in your hearts, your home, and the generations to follow you. There may be some dark moments, but at the end there is a promise from God.

Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

When you’re stressed, float a while.

Two heads are better than one.

Stay below deck during the storm.

If you have to start over...have a friend by your side.

Remember that woodpeckers inside are often a bigger threat than the storm outside.

Don’t miss the boat. Repeat….DO NOT miss the boat.

Hopefully, down the road we will explore more ideas we can glean from Noah and the Ark. I do have some ideas in mind, so we shall see where the Lord leads.

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