. Read: Genesis 7:1–24
A natural disaster hits a community, city or country, and the loss is mind-boggling. The media report facts and figures to describe the devastation, but the tragedy doesn’t hit home until we see the pictures and hear the stories. Tears. Faces etched with agony. Eyes roaming for lost loved ones. Families torn apart: A man who lost his son; a woman whose husband is missing; a child looking for a familiar face. The unbearable pain and sorrow become more personal. Long ago there was a great flood. Noah and his family knew catastrophe was coming, so they built an ark at God’s command. They followed instructions. They braced for impending crisis. They endured umpteen years of looking foolish. They faced criticism, ridicule, rejection. They plodded in the slow work of faith and love. Then the downpour came and the final command: “Go into the ark.” So Noah and his family left everything and evacuated to the big boat. Noah led the members of his family into a floating zoo—out of harm’s way. The devastation of the world they knew had to be heartbreaking. But they followed God, and his grace saved them from the disaster. When storms come in your own life, they may not be a calamity on the scale of a flood. But they may bring just as much sorrow and pain—an illness, an accident, a betrayal. In the midst of the event, your decisions can help save you and your family. Let’s face it; disaster can strike whether you’re a saint or sinner. To survive requires spiritual preparation. When you build your home on the foundation of God’s Word, you can find safety despite the downpour outside. You can help those you love to weather the storm. Begin now to prepare your house for the storms that are sure to come: Spend time in the Bible. Strengthen your relationship with God and with a godly community. Bring those you love before God in prayer. When (not if) the tempest strikes, you will have shelter. Genesis 7:1 The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.”
Reflection:
- In the face of a flood, who would you take with you into the ark?
- How are you preparing for the inevitable storms of life? How will your family benefit from your actions?
- Has God commanded you to do things that may seem foolish to others? In what ways are you obeying him?
Related Readings:
Hebrews 11:1–16;
1 Peter 3:13–22;
2 Peter 3:11–18
“There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” Willa Cather
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