Noah's FAITH

While he sat at rest in his house, pursuing a life of devotion, and mourning over the abounding wickedness of the times, he heard a voice - a voice declaring that the end of all flesh was at hand - a voice which fixed the event and the manner, but concealed the time.

The voice assured him that the wicked would be destroyed, and that the only safety for him was in an ark, which he must at once set about preparing.

All this was strange, and different from anything he had experienced. Yet the patriarch believed God.

He did not doubt because he had never seen such a thing before, nor because the events predicted might be at a considerable distance.

He admitted a realizing belief that the wicked would be destroyed, and that his only safety was in an ark.

His faith was sufficient to influence his conduct and to lead him to the labor of 120 years.

Not knowing how near the deluge might be, and contemplating so vast a work before him, he saw that he had no time to lose.

He felt the urgent call for haste, apprehending that if he delayed, the deluge might come before he was ready; at the same time trusting in God that if he was diligent, that the judgment would be deferred until he was prepared.

Here were all the trials of faith which good men experience now.

O that they could as fully believe the threats and promises of God; and while they feel the pressing need of haste, could trust in him to connect their diligence with the promised salvation.

Let them not doubt because the events foretold differ from their past experience, nor because they are many years distant.

Noah believed God, because his mind was not blinded by sin; but his contemporaries were blinded.

This was the difference between them. He believed God's threatenings and promises, and they believed not.

Hence he could consume the labor of 120 years in building an ark, and they could spend that solemn time in mocking at his sacred toil.

They could not have acted thus, had they really believed that a flood was coming on the world.

This is the difficulty with sinners now. Though God has foretold the destruction of the wicked - they do not really believe it.

Did they truly believe that the destruction would come, and that there is no safety but in the spiritual ark - they could not thus reject a Savior, and sleep out life in worldliness and vain security!

~Edward Griffin~