Trust

I want you to build an ark, Noah.

A what?

There is going to be a flood, Noah.

A what?

God asked Noah to create something that no one had ever seen because He was about to do something He had never done. And, Noah? Well, he was obedient and did all that God instructed Him to do.

Doesn’t every child that ever went to Sunday School know this story? The righteous Noah, the ark and all of the animals – what a cute story.

It’s cute. It’s inspiring. Yet, my eyes were drawn to these words…

And the Lord shut him in.

I imagine Noah watching the door close and not fully comprehending what was about to happen. The rain begins to beat against the boat and the waves begin to get rocky.

Friends, Noah was on the ark a long, long time. He was in the ark for 370 days. The Lord shut him in and then, nothing except wind and waves for over a year. It occurred to me that building the ark was not the difficult part. Did people understand what he was doing? No. Did folks laugh at him and call him crazy? Probably. But, that was not the hard part. After all, Noah had a clear word from the Lord and he was going with it.

The part that is completely overlooked is what happened between the Lord shut him in (Genesis 7:16) and God remembered Noah (Genesis 8:1.)

You know what happened? He waited. And he waited. Then, he waited some more.

Come on now. Someone wants to testify.

The Lord tells him to get into this boat. He shuts him in and, then, silence. Can you even imagine? Of course you can – because we have all had our moments of waiting on the Lord.

Building the ark was an act of obedience. What took place inside the ark, however, was pure faith. Faith is sitting in a dark place. It is holding on tight as you are rocked by the waves. It is knowing that, no matter how uncomfortable the circumstances, you are exactly where God wants you to be.

Faith is not being able to see the Lord at work, but knowing that He is and that He will remember you.

*A post from the archives because I needed a reminder. Maybe you did too?

I have made it to Deuteronomy in my quest to read through the Bible. I have been here all week, but have not made it beyond the first chapter. Something about it…I just keep reading it over and over. For some reason, I can’t move on just yet.

A couple of things that are standing out to me right now:

God told the Israelites that they had been in their current location long enough. It was time to move on.
God delivered them safely to the Promised Land and the Israelites did not trust Him enough to enter and claim it.

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Back at Horeb, God, our God, spoke to us: “You’ve stayed long enough at this mountain. On your way now. Get moving…” — Deuteronomy 1:6

On your way now. Get moving. We need to be told that. I need to be told that. I get so comfortable where I am. It’s not necessarily that I’m in a fabulous place…just a comfy place. I know the scenery. I know the routine. I know the people. But, God doesn’t want me to just be comfortable…and I think this is more of a spiritual move than a physical one. He wants to use me. How? I’m not certain right now. But I am certain that God is telling me to “Be on my way. Get moving.”

Why did God want the Israelites to get moving? Because the time had come…

Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’” –Deuteronomy 1:8

…They had reached the Promised Land and God could not wait to give it to them. The excitement He must have felt. It makes me think of the time Michael went out of town…

He had been gone for a couple of days and he could not wait to get home and see us. He had made a stop at the airport and bought Emily a pretty red cowgirl hat. He was so excited to come home and present this treasure to his little girl. He came through the door…picked Emily up…and placed the hat on her head. Immediately, Emily took it off and threw it in the floor. She was not impressed at all. Michael got upset, put that hat in the closet and it did not see the light of day for a long, long time. It’s hard when you want to give something to someone you love and it is not well received.

“But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go in…” –Deuteronomy 1:26

The Israelites were afraid. They did not trust God to help them conquer the current inhabitants of the land they were being given. Though He had brought them through so much already…they still didn’t trust Him.

How it must break God’s heart when we don’t trust Him…when He wants to give great things to us and we refuse to accept out of fear. If only we understood that not trusting, not obeying, costs us so much more. And, for the Israelites, their distrust cost them greatly.

Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the Lord completely. –Deuteronomy 1:35-36

They were denied access to the Promised Land. Out of that whole generation, only Caleb and Joshua were permitted to set foot on that land which God had promised. It scares me to think what I have been denied access to because of my distrust and disobedience.

My prayer today is that I, like Caleb, would follow the Lord completely…