Have You Built Your Ark?

The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the LORD said, "I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  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. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 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. 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. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out....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. (Genesis 6:5-14, 18, NIV)



We Live Among Evil 

Since the fall of Adam and Eve, evil has entered the world. Thankfully, because of Jesus' sacrifice in our behalf, that evil no longer has power and control over us. But it still poses a threat to us and our families.



Walking Faithfully With God 

Even in the midst of great evil, we can find favor with the Lord. The key is to walk faithfully with God. While we have no righteousness of our own that can cause God to favor us (Romans 3:10; Isaiah 64:6), our faith in God is credited to us as righteousness (Romans 4:22). In addition, through the cross "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV)" Only through Christ can we be "blameless among the people" of our time.



The World Is Doomed For Destruction 

The Bible is clear. Not only do those who don't believe in Christ NOT have eternal life, but God's wrath remains on them (John 3:36) and they are His enemies (Romans 5:10; James 4:4; Colossians 1:21). Because of this, they are doomed for destruction. (Though it's a whole other blog post, from Christ's teachings we know that we're to love our enemies and pray for them.)



Build An Ark 

I'm speaking figuratively now, but I believe with all my heart that our homes should be "arks" for our families. Home should be a place free from the corruption found in the world, a place of safety and security and faithfulness to God. Our "arks" protect us from the outpouring of God's wrath upon a faithless generation. God has given us the building materials we need. The boards of cypress wood are His Word, and we lay them one plank at a time.



Have you built your ark?



These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:1-9, NIV)



Heavenly Father, thank You for drawing us to You in faith. Thank you for crediting our faith in You as righteousness and for exchanging our sin for that righteousness through the spilled blood of Jesus on the cross. What love! Words can't express our gratitude. Lord, in response, help us to live unpolluted and blameless lives as a testimony to those enslaved to evil. Give us boldness, Lord, to speak out in an attempt to save them from the wrath to come. More than anything, Lord, help us to use Your Word to build a foundation and an "ark" for our families. In Jesus' name, Amen.