Day 46: God’s Plan
Read: Genesis 6:13-16
A lot of professors I’ve had tell me to follow exactly what they’ve written in the syllabus. This is especially true when it comes to writing papers. I usually try to follow the instructions to a tee, but, there are times when I honestly get really lazy and decide that it might be “okay” if I skip a step on the syllabus. Literally 10/10 times, this has backfired. It usually results in a whole letter grade taken down because I failed to listen to the simple detailed instructions that were so clearly laid out for me.
It usually takes me 5-6 hours to write a solid paper. Theologians have analyzed that it took Noah easily over 50 years to build the Ark. Halfway into most of my papers, I want to give up. Noah strived for decades. I wonder what Noah was thinking when God told him that He was going to destroy the people on earth. Genesis 6: 13 says, “And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.’” It doesn’t say in the Bible, how Noah initially responded. But what Noah did, obeying without question, was how we should respond to God.
Noah followed God’s instructions down to the detail. Noah must have been even more confused as to why he was building a massive, shoe-box shaped “chest” which is another translation for ark. A lot of us may think that God instructed Noah to build a boat but, that’s not right. The ark that Noah and his family built wasn’t meant to sail, it was meant to be able to float. In terms of estimations, just half of the boat could comfortably house over 130,000 sheep!
The world before the Flood had not experienced rain yet, Noah was really following God’s instructions because of the faith he had in Him, not because any of this made sense. The lesson herer? When God tells you to do something, do it. Regardless of how ridiculous you think it may sound. Because who knows? It could be one of the best decisions of your life. We’re all chosen for a purpose, it might not be to build an ark to escape the flood, but God has a plan for our lives.
Just how amazing is that? God trusts us to do a task for Him. Sometimes it’s hard to even hear what God wants us to do in life because of our fear. Let’s strive to be fearless during times where there isn’t clarity in our lives. Those times of trust are usually when God reveals Himself to us.
Today, ask God to open your ears to what He has to say, for what He has planned for your life. Go to Him with a heart that is open to hear anything He has to say. As Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”