𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Have you ever been tasked to do something seemingly impossible? How did you respond?

• When given instructions, do you follow them right away or do you take your time and try to understand them first?

• Have you been called out for doing something out of the norm? What happened?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. . . . 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩. 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟲:𝟲, 𝟴-𝟵

(Read also 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟲.)

When God created humans, He made them in His image, blessed them, and commissioned them to 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘺, and to 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘵 (Genesis 1:28). But because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin came into the world and infected every human. Eventually, people chose to rebel against God and walked in their wicked ways. Their acts were so corrupt that God’s heart broke and He regretted making mankind. God decided to send a flood to wipe out His creation. But there was a man who was set apart, following God even when it wasn’t popular. Today, let us look and learn from the story of Noah’s faith to go and obey anyway and build an ark that led to the salvation of his family and the rest of creation.

𝟭. 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗱, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩. 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟲:𝟴-𝟵

Despite the corruption around him, Noah was faithful to God, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 and 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. When people chose to sin, Noah was determined to follow God. In fact, Noah is described as a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:4–6). He was not alone because he raised his family in God’s ways. Even today, God calls us to be set apart and to walk with Him in righteousness, even when it is counter-cultural to do so. Recall a time when you did something out of the norm to follow God. What happened?

𝟮. 𝗢𝗯𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹.

𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴; 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟲:𝟮𝟮

Because Noah found favor in God’s eyes, God warned him that a flood would come and commanded him to build an ark to protect him and his family, along with animals of all kinds. This seemed impossible and irrational. This was the first time an ark would be built, and God didn’t mention exactly when the flood would come. But Noah 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, following the specific dimensions and materials that were to be used. Sometimes we think that God’s word and His commands may not make sense, yet His word proves true. As His people, we respond with unwavering faith and obedience, even when we don’t fully understand. What is one thing you believe God called you to do that seemed irrational at first, but worked out in the end?

𝟯. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘬. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥. 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟴:𝟭

Years after God spoke to Noah, the ark was complete and the flood finally came. Every living thing was wiped out, except Noah and those in the ark. Though the flood lasted for months, God remembered Noah and caused the waters to subside. Noah, his family, and the animals with them returned to land safely. He built an altar to the Lord, and God established a new covenant with him, providing a sign—a rainbow—as a promise not to curse or strike the earth again (Genesis 8:21–22). Through Noah’s radical faith, God preserved humankind and all kinds of living things on the earth. How has God shown you His faithfulness and led you through challenging situations? How has He shown you that He remembers you?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Do you believe that God has called you to do something that seems irrational? How may you learn to trust and obey God more in this area?

• How do you respond to people who question your faith or treat you differently because of it? What are some practical ways you can demonstrate God’s love to them this week?

• How can you encourage people to grow in their faith and obedience to God, and to trust Him in all things?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His faithfulness to those who walk with and believe in Him, just like Noah. Thank Him for remembering and upholding His promises according to His word.

• Ask God for a deeper level of faith to follow His ways, even when it seems impossible or irrational. Pray that you would learn to trust God more than trends, reports, and opinions.

• Pray that God would use your life as a testimony to help others in their walk of faith. Pray that God’s light will shine through you, so others may see His character and faithfulness.