Life is full of excitement. There are many surprises and uncertainties. We just do not know for sure the things that are yet to come. It is for this reason that we need to walk by faith. This was exactly what Noah did during his time. We are told that “by faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Heb. 11:7). And because we do not know the things that are yet to come, there is a need to heed the warning of the one who knows the future, God. It is unwise for us to see how things play out first before we act. By then, it might be too late.
If we were in Noah’s shoes, would we even try to build an ark when there was no visible reason to do so? The sky was clear, and everybody was enjoying their lives. There was no sense of urgency to undertake such an enormous project. It not only required a lot of time and effort, but a lot of money, too. However, to Noah, there was nothing more important than the salvation of his family. Besides, Noah feared God and it was this holy fear that moved him to action. He believed that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17).
Noah lived in a time when it was not easy to live a righteous life. Jesus himself described Noah’s time saying, “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark” (Matt. 24:38). There was no let-up in revelry, and this depraved environment blurred the spiritual vision of most at that time, so that only Noah and his family heeded the higher calling of God. Today, this spiritual darkness pervades the world. Unless we respond to the warnings as Noah did, we might find ourselves carried away by the flood of wickedness. However, it takes a lot of strength and courage to stand for righteousness these days. By doing so, others “think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you” (1 Peter 4:4).
But if we stand our ground and pursue holiness, better things are yet to come. We cannot belittle the promises of God. How relieved Noah and his family must have been when the flood came and the ark floated. Their hard work paid off. But while they were building it, it came with much sacrifices in terms of time, resources and effort. They must have also endured mocking and much ridicule from their friends, neighbors and their own relatives. However, their eyes were focused on the promise of better things. They were like our Lord Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).
Just like Abraham, Noah and his family were “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Rom. 4:21). Reflecting on Noah’s life, we could see three reasons why we should also be optimistic about the future. Through these, we can look forward to better days as we put our faith in God.
God is patient with us. While Noah’s project of building an ark was extensive and took him years to build, God was willing to wait. In his epistle, the apostle Peter said, “God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built” (1 Peter 3:20). He did not send in the rain until it was fully finished and ready to sail. God is also waiting for us. He has the best in mind for us if only will we turn to him.
God knows how to save us from our predicament. Though we each have different situations in life, God meets us where we are. He has a saving plan for each one of us. Again, the apostle Peter said, “The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment, while continuing their punishment” (2 Peter 2:9). If we want to see good days, let us entrust our lives to him who knows and holds our future.
God is faithful and he remembers us in our low state. When we are in the thick of our problem, we sometimes feel that God has forgotten and abandoned us, but not so. After spending months in the ark, “God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded” (Gen. 8:1). Let us always remember that God is not unjust so as to forget the work we do. He remembers us even in our low state, for his love endures forever. Greater things are yet to come. Hallelujah!
