WELCOME TO A NEW YEAR of walking with Jesus, doing devotions, and applying what we are learning. January 1st was the first blank page of a new 365-page book. Let’s make every page count! It’s Monday, January 3rd, 2022. Today we look at another of my heroes and discover what it was that caused God to give him the assignment to salvage the remnants of creation! Join me as we read on …
Today's Reading:
Genesis 6,7,8; Luke 3
Scripture
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 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.” (Genesis 6:8-9)
Observation
God saw Noah as a righteous man, and he found favor in His sight. Why? In verses 14-22, God detailed how the ark was to be made, but God didn’t do it for him. He didn’t supervise each cut of wood. God didn’t have to harass Noah nor require him to fill out a time card. He simply told him what He wanted to be done, and it was done!
I’m sure Noah had lots of questions … like how to round up two elephants or search for two ants … and even more challenging, how would you figure out if there was actually one male and one female? (It would be tough with ants and dangerous with elephants!) But he did! God didn’t have to nag him or hear him make excuses. Genesis 5 says, “And Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.”
Application
I want to learn from Noah in this new year. I want to hear God’s voice — and not need God to nag me or constantly supervise me. I want God’s ledger in heaven to read, “Wayne did according to all that the Lord had commanded him!”
I shall write down the things I must do, as well as things I must do away with; what I must practice, and what I must develop in order to be fruitful. I will not say, “It can’t be done.” But, when He gives me a seemingly impossible assignment — like getting ants and elephants into a boat, I must say, “It can be done!” I may not know how to do it at the time, but if God says it can be done, I will be faithful to figure out how — and do according to all the Lord has commanded. I will see things “Up” this year and not down. I will be a courier of hope and not doom. I will look for the hand of the Lord rather than fixate on the hapless errors of man.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank You for Noah’s example. I ask for Your grace this year as I follow Your commands. You may assign “impossible” tasks that seem so to me, but never to You. It will only become impossible if I think the task is too great (like inviting elephants) or if what You ask is too insignificant (like gathering ants).
There will be times You’ll ask me to do something that will require all the faith I have, and other times, You may ask me to stop and listen to the simple dream of a child. I want to comply with all of Your requests with equal willingness and equal heart.
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