Central Truth

Noah wasn't perfect. What made Noah different from everybody else was his faith and obedience. He was a man who did what God wanted him to do, not what the world expected him to do. He did what was right, earning him the title "righteous."

---

Reflections

Almost everyone has heard of Noah's Ark - there's even the movie "Evan Almighty" that reflects the story of Noah and the ark. Evidence of the flood is found on every continent, and it all reflects a totally destructive flood that happened thousands of years ago. But let's look closer. The earth was a mess. Everyone was doing their own thing, ignoring God.

Everyone except Noah, that is.

Scripture tells us Noah was a righteous man. He was a man who did what God wanted him to do, not what the world expected him to do. Noah earned the title "righteous" because he lived by God's standards.

Noah was also a blameless man. No one had anything against him. He had great relationships and was respected by all who were in his life. Noah also walked with God. Noah spent time daily with God. He had a strong, growing and interactive relationship with God. Because of the closeness of his relationship with God, Noah was able to clearly hear specific instruction; there was a clear call from God and Noah had the choice to respond or ignore it.

Noah had this faith and obedience - a faith and obedience that can be an encouragement for us this very day! God may not ask us to build an ark in our backyard, but He asks us to be faithful. He may not ask us to gather animals for the ark, but He may ask us to engage in conversations that make us uncomfortable in order to reach out to people.

God may call us to care for someone who won't appreciate it.
God may call us to love someone we consider unlovable.
Most of all, He will call us to show faith and follow where He leads.

God can use you to do what you never thought possible. Let the "flood" of love cover everyone that God leads your way.

---

Discussion Questions

1. What would my neighbors say about me? What grade would I give myself on my relationships with my neighbors? Explain.

2. What specific instructions from God have I heard (or ignored)?

3. What are some ways that I can show faith and obedience in my relationship with God?

---