Personal Reflection on Noah's Ark

(Genesis 6:12-8:22) Obedience and evangelism are the two words that come to mind while reading this passage. Obedience despite what looks like an impossible task being asked of Noah. Simply reading the measurements and directions for building the ark are overwhelming to me. Then, add to that that he was to gather the food and supplies needed for every living animal to be kept on the ark. The sheer magnitude of preparation for what God was asking him to do is overwhelming, but despite this, “Noah did all that the Lord commanded of him.” How many times in my life does God present me with a situation, a task, or a call, that I deem ‘too big’ by my standards, completely forgetting that God never said that I would be doing it alone! He provides, he guides, he equips. My biggest job, in reality, is to simply say ‘yes’ and walk in faith. The word salvation comes to mind as I think about the verse that stated, “Every living thing that moved on the Earth perished…” I think about all of the people who were wiped from the face of the Earth only to spend eternity separated from God. I’ve never necessarily thought about the fact that as Noah and his family sat on the boat, I am sure they also mourned the loss of friends. They knew people that were drowning as they sat in safety. How did they deal with this? My heart would break, knowing that not only were people dying, but they were facing eternal separation from God. Flood waters may not be rising around me, but people are drowning in their own sin, dying inside, and walking a path that will lead to eternal separation from God. Am I grieving? Am I grieving the spiritual death taking place around me? How am I dealing with the fact that I have friends who will spend eternity in Hell? I wonder if Noah and his family ever had an urge to jump off the boat and save the people crying out. I am faced with the reality that people are drowning, dying around me, and I DO have the opportunity to reach out my hand, tell them about the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, and hopefully pull them out of the water, and set their feet on the dry, solid, firm foundation of a relationship with Jesus Christ.