LEARN TO WALK FAITHFULLY WITH GOD
SCRIPTURE:
“This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle, and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal, and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:9—22 NIV)
OBSERVATION:
Every one of us has an account of our lives. An account is a description, a story, or a review of something, an event, or a person’s life. Genesis gave an amazing introduction to the account of Noah’s life. The account given is that Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. A righteous man does not mean he has not sinned or made mistakes. For there is only one who is perfect, and that is God. But Noah conducted himself in such a way that it pleased God. He could’ve lived life like the people with whom he lived. However, he conducted himself by living and conducting himself morally upright and justifiable in God’s sight.
Firstly, he was a RIGHTEOUS MAN. I am reminded that the book of Proverbs says, “For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.” (Proverbs 24:16). Every person who is righteous will fall but still get up and try to the right thing again and again. Later in the life of Noah a righteous man, he was a drunkard and was nakedly exposed to his children. God sees us, and even in our worst, he works things out for our good so we can fulfill his purposes in life. A righteous person is someone who does everything and does their very best to honor God in their obedience to his word.
Secondly, Noah was BLAMELESS among the people of his time. In comparison to people in his time, Noah was someone who did not go with the flow of his society. He was aware of the presence of God and had the fear of God. The Bible said, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.” God sees that Noah was the only man who was not involved in the corruption and violence that was going on. The earth was CORRUPT in God’s sight. So, for God to find someone whom he could work with, Noah was different. The condition of how wicked and corrupted the earth was not from people who live in it, but from God, who sees them corrupt and FULL OF VIOLENCE. God also sees that all the people of the earth are corrupted. While God sees ALL PEOPLE corrupted and full of violence, He sees Noah blameless.
Thirdly, Noah WALKED FAITHFULLY with God. With all the corruption and violence around, Noah kept himself from allowing the influence of humans around him to corrupt his morals. Fourthly, God REVEALED HIS PLANS to Noah. This came about when God was pleased with the choices and the efforts I made to steer away from the direction of the earth; he showed his plans and the purpose of his will to those who obey. I have a lot to learn from the hard choices Noah had to make in the most difficult of times when it seemed everyone in his time was corrupted and full of violence. God revealed to Noah what he would do and instructed him to make an ark for himself and all the other details for the ark and its contents. Noah sprang into action, and it took him 120 years to build that ark. But he was faithfully doing what he was told to do.
Lastly, Noah DID EVERYTHING JUST AS GOD COMMENDED. I am reminded today that there will be many challenges. I am reminded that I live with people who have no regard for who God is and what God is doing. But I must be obedient to do everything, just as God commanded me to focus on this year. The year 2024 is upon me; now, I must ensure that I live like Noah in this world full of corruption and violence.
APPLICATION:
My prayer for 2024 is to live like Noah in this world that is deteriorating and spiraling out of control. I must live like Noah in Jesus’ righteousness. I must live and learn how to be blameless in this world. I desire to walk faithfully with God even though, at times, I may fall. I must get back up and pursue righteousness in Christ. I desire to see God’s plans be revealed clearly for my life. And I want to do everything according to the will of God to the best of my ability.
PRAYER:
I pray, dear Lord, to help me walk in your righteousness. Please help me to be blameless in your sight. I pray that you teach me how to walk faithfully with you. I want to walk in your fear and obedience to your will and purposes. Please reveal to me your plans for this year with clarity of vision and increased passion for your work. I ask that you help me to do everything just as you lead and command me to in 2024. Teach me to fear your name, Amen!
