There s so much to be learned from the Old Testament heroes in the Bible. Take Noah for example.
Here are some great lessons to consider. First; DON’T MISS THE BOAT! I had an experience in NYC when I almost missed the boat. The group I went with all ran onto the ferry to return to Manhattan. I got tangled with a few other people in front of me and…the steward at the gate said, ‘no more.’ As I frantically calling to my family to tell them I was not on the boat, a gracious New York commuter told the Stewart to let him off so I could get on! I was so grateful to this young man. Boy did I get a taste of what the people of Noah’s day may have felt as they saw the rain pelting on them as the door was closing. The admittance requirement is still the same today. Accept Jesus as your Savior and you can enter the arc of safety. Genesis 7:16 16The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.
Second; PLAN AHEAD. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark! You may feel that your life is good. You don’t do real bad stuff, you’ll be ok. That’s just the lie that the enemy of your soul wants you to believe. You are ‘good enough.’ However, when you use that measuring stick, you are using the wrong measure. We need to ‘measure up’ to Jesus! He was sinless. There is no one born of a woman who is that good. We need a gracious God sending His sinless Son to pay the price for our sin. Only then can we enter God’s presence with a clean slate. Genesis 6:5 5The 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.
Third; BUILD YOUR FUTURE ON HIGH GROUND. You have seen the people who take short cuts, cheat on their taxes, get paid ‘under the table.’ Oh, they look like they have the world by the tail Money, vacations, all the ‘creature comforts’ anyone could want. Then one day it catches up with them, they get sick or hit a recession. All the stuff in the world will not fix that. Only a God who is greater than the Universe itself has the power to help you, and He has promised to help you, if He knows who you are. Introduce yourself to Him. He IS on high ground. Genesis 8:4 4and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
Fourth; FOR SAFETY, TRAVEL IN PAIRS. When God created Adam, He soon realized that as fun as the animals were, they did not provide a companion for him that could be compatible to him. It is best if we have a spouse or friend to bounce ideas around, help with the work, challenge each other. Remember Tom Hanks in the movie ‘Shipwrecked?’ He started talking to the basketball that he fashioned into a human face. We need human interaction! Genesis 7:7 7And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.
Fifth; DON’T LISTEN TO CRITICS. JUST GET ON WITH THE JOB THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. You know the ones. They can tell you exactly how you are doing it wrong but they won’t lift a finger to do something themselves. Just ignore them or remind them they can do it also. Challenging them usually quiets them down.
Sixth; REMEMBER THE ARK WAS BUILT BY AMATEURS; THE TITANIC, BY PROFESSIONALS! The missing ingredient that Noah had was the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without a blueprint, an architect or even a model, Noah built a vessel that carried man and beast to safety for a year, without any losses. Imagine what we could accomplish if we paid attention to the Holy Spirit every day.
Genesis 6:13–16 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 s both them and the earth. t 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress c wood; u make rooms in it and coat it with pitch v inside and out.
Finally, NO MATTER THE STORM, WHEN YOU ARE IN GOD’S ARK, THERE’S ALWAYS A RAINBOW WAITING. Genesis 9:13 13I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
How can you get into God’s ark of safety? Easy! Ask Jesus to forgive you of all your wrongdoings. Believe He has done it. Confess it to others. Then live a redeemed life with your ticket to the Ark of safety in your heart!
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