“A long obedience in the same direction.”
That quote has often been used to describe Noah. This morning, Bruce challenged the men in the church to be “Noahs” in their families.
Noah was “perfect in his generation.” Does that mean he didn’t sin? That he didn’t mess up or make mistakes? Of course not. Noah was human like everyone else. So what distinguished him? What made him so special?
Noah obeyed.
God told Noah to build an ark. Noah had never seen an ark. Noah had no use for a 3-story tall floating box…at least none that he could see. Yet he built it.
God told Noah he would destroy the earth with a flood. Noah had never seen rain, let alone a flood. Noah had no idea what a flood would be. Yet he built the ark.
He built it to protect his family. He built it to obey God. He built it because he knew that it was better than whatever the consequences would be. And because of his obedience his family was saved and God used him to give life a second chance on the earth.
Bruce’s challenge this morning was to the husbands and fathers in the congregation to “build the ark.” To be the spiritual protector of the family. To guard the family against sin. To be an example of obedience to God’s call. To lead the family in ways of truth and righteousness.
And I realized Matt is doing it. He’s building the ark. He’s not perfect, but he is rising above the swirling chaos of his upbringing to be a father to his children. He is leading our family spiritually, though maybe not always visibly, and he is encouraging our children in their own understandings of our faith. How grateful I am for my own God-given ark-builder!