Alone
What if you looked up one day and realized that you were the only person in the whole world who believed the gospel, the single solitary soul that believed in God. The remaining seven billion people did not. How would you feel, what would or could you do? Everyone thinks you were a lunatic, somewhat delusional, completely off your rocker. To make matters even worse, you are being asked to walk by faith and carry out an outlandish task for the Lord. Does this seem impossible?
Well, there was a man several thousand years ago who woke up one morning and found himself in that situation. The wickedness in all the earth was so bad that God spoke this to Noah. “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them” (Gen. 6.7). Scripture then tells us that God looked upon Noah in his generation and declared him righteous. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (vs. 7).
Chosen
God chose Noah to build an ark in the middle of an arid region, where most likely no one had ever seen rain. Can you imagine the faith to do this, even for 120 years? The ridicule that he must have received would be unbearable. That is, unless you truly believed in and trusted God completely. Noah was a man born in sin, and was not perfect. But was declared righteous because of his faith. He walked with God, with no one ever encouraging him. Put yourself in his shoes. I even wonder about his wife and children and extended family.
A lonely existence to say the least. Have you ever felt that alone? What kind of faith would it take to carry on day after day, decade after decade? May I remind you; you find yourself being the only person on the face of the earth that is faithfully following God. Well, the number of true believers is diminishing in America. What if? You might feel like Elijah in his cave having a ‘pity party’, believing he was alone in his walk with God. Until the Lord whispered to him that there were 7,000 other saints who had not bowed to Baal. But Noah—he was truly the only one.
Incredible faith
God destroys all the people and animals with a worldwide flood except Noah and his family, and two of every creature—how; on the ark that he had faithfully built, plank by plank. He became the second father of mankind. I have always said—‘there is a little bit of Noah in us all’. And now he is in the Hebrew Hall of Faith. “By faith Noah being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb. 11.7). God redeemed the world through the use of the ark but through the faith of a man. What God starts, he will finish.
Will God find that kind of faith in you and me? Have we placed our full obedience into the hands of the Living Savior? Jesus is our Ark!! We probably won’t live as long as Noah but we can use the years given us to execute faith in the One who came and assured eternity for those who believe. If they were creating a modern Hall of Faith, would you, would I, be on the list? God works through our faith. It is a gift of grace. Exercise it! And maybe he will use you for the salvation of many. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3.6). Noah believed God, and so should we!
