Consider Noah’s calling.
Noah was at work in his workshop one day when a voice came seemingly from nowhere.
“Noah,” the deep beaming voice called out.
Noah stopped what he was doing and looked around to see … nobody. He shook his head thinking he was hearing things and went back to work.
The voice echoed out again, “Noah! This is God!“.
“Yeah, right!“, Noah exclaimed, “Okay, who are you really? … Where are you? Are you hiding outside my window?“. Noah looks out his workshop window — searching for the source of the voice.
“Geez, that apple juice I had for breakfast must’ve sat around a little longer than I thought“, he said to himself.
God spoke once again, “Noah, this is God, and, I want you to build me an ark“.
“Really!?!? Are you serious!?!?“, Noah asked.
Okay, well, maybe, that’s not exactly how it began. However, scripture does teach us that God, in fact, did ask Noah to build an ark, and Noah, being the faithful person he was, did as God had commanded — 100 years before any flood actually occurred, and, in the middle of the desert, miles away from any waterway.
It was a seemingly non-sensical task — it made absolutely no sense!
People must’ve laughed and ridiculed Noah for decades — yes, even for a full century! “Haha … look at that foolish man!“, they must’ve said, “Building an ark in the middle of the desert — not even near any lake, or river, or ocean! And, he says, ‘God told me to do it’! How foolish and silly! If even there was a God, why would this ‘God’ tell this foolish man to build such a big boat in the middle of the desert anyway!?!?“
Yet, faithful as Noah was, and having heard God’s call, he continued onward and upward — building the ark just as God had directed him to.
Noah was not so concerned over what the people were saying as he was concerned about God’s direction. Noah was committed to doing as God had commanded him to do, and not what people were saying about him. Noah knew it was more important to follow God’s will, than the will of the people.
And, it took him … 100 years.
It was 100 years before the first raindrops fell — the raindrops and the water that would flood the earth. It was 100 years that Noah worked on the ark, and that the people ridiculed him, and laughed at him. It was 100 years that the people had a chance to turn from their evil ways — but, they didn’t. And, as a result, they all perished in the flood.
All of them, that is, except for Noah and his family, and the animals he brought on board the ark.
What is God calling you to today? Does it seem non-sensical and foolish? Will people laugh and ridicule you? Will you do it inspite of the ridicule from others? Will you heed God’s will for you in your life? Or, the will of the people? Will you answer to the people? And, follow people? Or, will you answer to God and follow God?
Lord, help us to hear Your words to us today, and reveal to us Your will for us to us that we may know, without any shadow of a doubt, what you want and expect of us. Show us what You are calling us to do. Then, help us to live the life You want us to live each day. Amen.