Monday, May 18th, 2009

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Genesis 6:14, 22
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. ... Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

On this road to humility, I find myself at the next major figure in the Old Testament, Noah. The story of Noah is a very fascinating one.

The world was full of evil and hate, violence and wickedness. It had become so corrupt that God decided it was time to destroy the wicked people on the earth and start over with the only righteous people that could be found. The sad thing here is that there was only one family on the earth that was righteous. Out of countless thousands of people, only one family remained faithful to God.

This faithful family was also a family that walked with God. They had made it their purpose to live for God and live in God. They followed His commands and His statutes and walked according to His plan. The life of the faithful is a life that cares more about God and His glory than their honor and glory.

Thus, when God commanded Noah to build an ark on dry land, and to ensure that it was water-tight, his response was to do everything that God had commanded. This is the life of humility and love for God. God tells me to do something that seems like it is contradictory to reason and practicality and I will do it.

I am sure that Noah's neighbors and the surrounding people wondered what in the world Noah could be doing. I am sure they asked him this question, and I am sure his response was that God, the maker of heaven and earth told him to do it, and the reason for it was that God would destroy all flesh. Yes, Noah was a prophet, and as we see in Genesis 6, no one listened except for his own family.

The world, all around does not care for the things of God, only the things of the world, and the spiritual things are only for the spiritual. These people watched as Noah built the ark, watched as the doors were closed, and then watched as they were drowning in the great flood.

Yes, I am sure that Noah was ridiculed and the people thought he was crazy, but that is not the point of this meditation. Noah heard God's word, God's command and determined to do exactly what God said, casting aside his own doubts and unbelief. Moses submitted his reason and his will to God. This is humility. Emptying oneself of all pride and self ambition and doing what God says for His glory and honor.

Oh Lord, today, let me be a Noah. Let me hear your command and do it. Let my pride and arrogance go away. Let me listen to you and do what you say because I know that you are the great God who is in control and you have made me for your purposes. Let me become an empty vessel, being filled with you. Let me be a servant. Let me take on the spirit of Christ, who though He was God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped at, but made Himself a servant even to the point of death, even death on a cross. Let me live like this today. In Christ, amen.