Today I've been thinking about obedience. It all started when I read about Noah's Ark in Genesis 6-9. This one verse really hit me. It's in Genesis 6:22.
Genesis 6:22
22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Okay, now lets back up.
God told Noah to build an ark so the animals, his family, and he could be safe from the worldwide flood. He told Noah how many animals needed to be on the ark. He also said they were to be one male and female of every kind. He even told Noah how to build the ark.
Here is the beginning of Noah's Ark.
Genesis 6:1-22
6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they marriedany of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with[a] humans forever, for they are mortal[b]; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 TheLord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
9 This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress[c] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.[d] 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit[e] high all around.[f] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
What does the last verse say? It says, "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." What's that called? That's called obedience. Noah obeyed God and was saved from the worldwide flood.
Now, lets turn the story around. What if Noah didn't obey God? What would have happened?
I can think of one thing. He would have drowned in the water along with everyone else on earth.
What else would have happened? Not only would he have drowned, but his whole family and the animals would have drowned. (That is, unless God told one of Noah's sons to build the ark.) The end result would have been no one living on the earth. No man, or creature would have survived the flood.
How does this apply to us today? God promised he wouldn't flood the whole earth again. So what can we learn from this story? I've learned about obedience.
If God told you to do something, would you do it? Noah didn't wonder if God really wanted him to build the ark. He just built it. He didn't say, "Is God really going to flood the whole earth?" He didn't wonder, he didn't question, and he didn't disobey God. He just built the ark and knew that God would protect him and his family from the flood.
If God wants you to do something, please don't wait! If you know for certain that you are supposed to do that specific task, then do it! God called you to do it, not someone else. This doesn't just apply to adoption, but it applies to everyday choices you and I make every day.
Please keep praying for these precious children. Pray that they will be adopted by families that will love and take care of them.
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