The Reality of the Boat Ride

If I had to guess the most repeated Bible story outside of the birth and death of Jesus, I think it would be Noah and his ark. It’s such an interesting story that any child would find it mesmerizing. A hammer, a sailor, lots of animals, and a rainbow… what more do you need?As an adult, I was recently reminded of the great detail God provided through Genesis to convey the gravity of the situation unfolding on earth. This wasn’t a publicity stunt to drive up the ratings of the Bible. For children, it might appear G-rated… but in reality, the carnage and destruction make this an R-rated episode. The ark actually symbolized the destruction of almost every living thing. I couldn’t get over the contrast of such light and darkness. We have much we can learn from the light shone through Noah.[bctt tweet="A hammer, a sailor, lots of animals, and a rainbow… what more do you need?"]First, Noah was nothing less than a stud when it comes to faithfulness. Genesis describes Noah as a righteous man, blameless in his generation, and says that he walked with God. This description of Noah should be a bright light and model to us. Every single one of us should desire to become like Noah. He found favor in the eyes of the Lord… and it doesn’t get any better than that.When it came time for God to bring the flood, God protected this man who “did all that the Lord commanded of Him.” Genesis 7:16 bluntly says, “And the Lord shut him in.” He was safely sealed in the boat along with all the animals he was instructed to gather. God noticed Noah’s faithfulness. It stood out in the midst of indescribable amounts of darkness. Later in Genesis, God even acknowledged that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Noah lived as an exception.While Noah’s faithfulness to build a boat and gather the animals is a shining example of faith, many of us skip to the rainbow and dry land. We forget the long 150 days Noah was shut in the ark. Have you considered that this completely faithful man must’ve had moments of pure terror?Outside the boat were people who Moses knew. He brought his immediate family on board… but what would be going through your mind, knowing that every farmer or shepherd you knew and the kids who lived around the bush were all drowning? He must’ve had times of complete confidence and gratitude for God’s protection, but outside the boat “the waters prevailed so mightily on earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.” This was no smooth sailing.[bctt tweet="We should never become desensitized to God's power."]Despite the tumultuous months, Noah does finally experience dry land again. God’s wrath had been exercised and He graciously commits to never flood His own children again. An incredible rainbow serves as a reminder of this covenant.Every time you’re in God’s Word, you want to ask, “Why does God have me in this passage?” You should be seeing something about your character, God’s character, or both as you spend time in His Word. As I reflected on this passage, I was reminded that God reigns supreme. He has the authority to create us and to remove us. We should never become desensitized to His power. At the same time, we must realize that we are each given a choice. We can choose to be like Noah and be faithful. That doesn’t guarantee calm waters, but it does guarantee that we’ll remain protected in the palm of His hand.Right now, where do you need to just follow the Lord’s direction so you can enjoy His protection?